Firsts
by she.s.a.shy.one
Summary: He promised he would come back for her. And he did. / The first time they met, the first time a man returned for her, the first time they came to Camp Half Blood, the first time she thought he was a complete fool (and the times after that). The many firsts in the relationship of Calypso, goddess of Ogygia and Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. (Post- HoH; CALEO)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to FIRSTS, it's my first PJO fic but I couldn't help myself after reading HoH (SPOILER ALERT) and falling in love with Calypso and Leo. Thanks for reading and I'd appreciate any feedback :)**

**Shy x.**

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**CHAPTER ONE**

The first time his friends confronted him, it was a week after Gaea's forces had been defeated and the earth mother herself reburied for another millennia. Leo didn't kid himself- she wasn't _dead. _Goddesses as old as the Earth itself could not be killed or vaporised or burnt to ashes. He was reminded of those mind numbingly boring science lessons at school. His teacher would drone on in his monotonous drawl about energy. _Energy cannot be destroyed, it is simply transformed._

But since coming back to Camp Half-Blood, seeing the faces of his half-siblings, the tentative relations between the Romans and Greeks, the gods' warring counterparts finally at peace, Leo had learned to be grateful that she could not harm him or his friends or his family any more than she already had. She would be a problem for the next millennia's generation to handle.

In true Camp Half-Blood fashion, the Greeks threw a party to celebrate the Earth Mother's destruction and the Romans had been invited to hesitantly finalise the peace between east and west. Leo found himself surrounded by the grinning faces of his friends and a nearly electric atmosphere of elation that covered the camp from head to toe. He was happy, he told Jason when the Roman demigod gave him an odd look. He wasn't his usual vibrant self but he was happy.

Until the night swept across the sky and Leo found himself in Bunker Nine while his siblings slept back at Camp, his fingers studying the fine white crystal he'd kept safe in his pockets during the whole adventure. During the day, some of his siblings would use the bunker as well and he was careful to keep the true nature of his project secret, just for the time being. But at night, alone in the underground, surrounded by his element, Leo let himself work feverishly.

It was the same pattern, every night. First, he turned the crystal over and over in his grip, tracing the jagged edges where it had been broken off by hands much stronger than his own. Hands, he remembered with nostalgia in his chest, that bore dirt-encrusted fingernails towards the end of his stay but still remained so, so soft…

When he snapped himself out of his daydreaming, Leo would turn to the bronze astrolabe he'd retrieved from the dwarfs. It was mangled in places from age but overall, the damage was much less than he'd first thought. In his head he could picture the many ways he could start embedding the ancient mariner technology into Festus' guidance systems, how the wires might cross, how he could use the Archimedes Sphere to realign it into some kind of GPS system…

But before that, he would then acknowledge, Festus had to be, you know, a dragon again.

So he'd turn to his old friend who had remain quiet while Leo went through the motions of studying his pieces and do what Leo did best: fix.

He took thirty minute power naps, snacked on energy bars and drank as much caffeinated Red Bull as he thought he could handle without vibrating and set to work with the wide sheets of celestial bronze and imperial gold Hazel had been kind enough to raise for him.

Leo's hands blazed for hours as he curved the pieces into claws, welded lumps into smooth wings, moulded his friend's new form into a masterpiece that could handle anything thrown at it.

(Leo liked to think Gaea hadn't had a huge effect on his personality but he included seven different safety measures in the blueprints in case of monsters, falling out of the sky, crashing into the ocean etc. His paranoia had certainly increased since the Quest of the Seven.)

It was, he knew, a gargantuan undertaking.

He was effectively rebuilding Festus from scratch. Even the _Argus II_ seemed easier than the dragon's intricate, complex form. Festus needed solar powered wings, an extra kick of power for his engines, brand new radar and sonar vision ability and to top it all off, his guidance system needed to be better than brilliant.

It had to be _perfect _or else it would all be for naught.

He didn't rush his work but he couldn't afford not to rush. Every day he spent in New York was another day she lost hope that he would come back for her.

He'd promised. Leo Valdez had sworn an oath, on the River Styx no less.

Not exactly something to be taken lightly.

When he resurfaced during the day (not for long periods, mind you), his friends- hell, they were about as close as his own half-siblings at this point- would try to persuade him to stay with them longer, hang out, rest, talk about where he was spending so much time. When _Frank _asked if he was feeling alright since the final battle, Leo knew he was starting to act a little nuts.

In the end, it was Annabeth who singled him out with a deep, cool grey stare.

"You know, if you tell us what's going on, we can help." She pointed out just before dinner one evening. She and Percy had been smoothing things over between Chiron and Reyna but Annabeth demanded that dinner was spent with their friends, _not _with treaty talk.

"What? Nothing's wrong, why would anything be wrong? We kicked Mother Earth's butt, no one had to die, Rachel's keeping her mouth shut for now, everything's _great! _It's-_"_ Leo spluttered, avoiding her gaze.

"Liar."

"-really, _really _great- wait what?"

"You're lying." Annabeth pointed out in a nearly bored tone. "You remind me of me when Percy was missing."

"Blonde and ticked off?" he aimed for a joke but his tone betrayed his exhaustion.

Annabeth's face softened slightly. "Tired and trying to hide it. Leo, do whatever you need to do. Trust me, nothing stopped me when I was determined but at least let us help. We help each other."

"I don't need help." He muttered, his stomach growling like a hellhound. "I'm fine."

"The guys are worried that you're losing it." Annabeth replied, bluntly. "And frankly, so am I. Leo, have you even looked at yourself lately?" she pointed to the huge rack of shields behind him and he turned automatically.

The boy staring back at him in the reflective circles did not resemble the sarcastic, fun loving Leo Valdez he'd been back before all this started. He'd grown a few inches and his face looked sallow- if he wasn't careful, his natural olive tone might turn out more like Nico Di Angelo's. His eyes looked bruised and his shoulders hunched slightly.

He looked _exhausted _but there, in the back of his black eyes, there it was. An inferno of single-minded, tenacious determination burning brightly.

In his reflection, he watched Annabeth pat his shoulder. "Leo, if you let us help, we will. We don't even have to ask questions, if you don't want to answer. But we'll help you."

The idea tossed around his mind like a piece of sea glass, letting the currents smooth over the rough edges. He'd hesitated in bringing his friends in on his little secret for reasons he couldn't quite explain. He didn't want them thinking it was a stupid idea, didn't want them telling him it was impossible. In his head, he pictured the slight pity that would enter their eyes and he dreaded being the source of it. _Poor stupid Leo Valdez who fell in love with a goddess on an island he'll never see again._

Even more, he felt mildly ill at confessing his Stygian oath to them. Pity? No, horror was more likely.

Still, it might not be a terrible idea. Frankly, he could use Annabeth's help with the guidance system and Hazel might be willing to bring up more supplies, not to mention Percy's half-brother Tyson would be a _huge _help with the crafting for Festus' wings.

As long as Frank didn't touch anything…

Leo sighed, in defeat. "Can you get them to come to Bunker Nine after dinner? I'll explain it all then."

Annabeth practically glowed with success but she didn't crow. She merely nodded and turned back to where her boyfriend had somehow managed to insult the leaders of both camps with his fat mouth.

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**A/N: The first few chapters are short but that's because there's quite a few of them. Hope you liked it, updates are (hopefully!) every week on Mondays!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Super sneaky chapter before next Monday because honestly you guys are flippin' AWESOME. Really glad you're all reading, hope you like this one as much as the first :)**

**Shy x.**

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**CHAPTER TWO**

The first time Jason learned about Ogygia and why his best friend had suddenly gone off the deep end, it was evening and Annabeth had pulled them all along with three simple words. _Leo needs help_.

Jason felt little anxiety about being in the woods at night. The air was cool, the night still. For him, Hazel and Frank, it was a perfect night for breaking curfew to go meet up in their best friend's underground bunker to reveal why he'd been acting like a lunatic since they'd arrived back in New York.

For the Greeks, it was unnerving.

"I think I'd be more comfortable with a nice ominous growl every now and then." Percy grumbled, Riptide clutched in his hand in pen form. "It's too quiet."

"Maybe a few evil hisses?" Annabeth proposed, warily.

"Agreed." Piper muttered, letting her hand slid into Jason's. He squeezed it in return and smiled back at her, the way she looked with the bright moonlight spilling into her kaleidoscope eyes.

"Chiron says ever since Gaea went under, the monsters have been shaken." Jason repeated what he'd heard with a tiny smirk. "I'm sure they'll be back to maiming and growling soon."

"C'mon, it's just up ahead." Hazel pressed, shivering slightly. "I can feel all the metal."

The six demigods crossed the stream that twirled through the woods and came to the limestone cliff where a familiar dark haired figure paced back and forth, his hands deep in his tool belt, no doubt fiddling with _something._

Jason had to admit that of all of them, Leo probably had the worst case of ADHD he'd ever seen.

"Leo, man, are you okay?" Frank called, still uncomfortable with the fire starter whose head whipped up upon hearing his voice like he'd been zapped.

"I'm- well, actually I'm not _fine _exactly, although I could be worse, I mean I could be buried in a mountain of dirt or torn to pieces by giants-" Leo babbled and his feet began to pace again like he couldn't help himself.

Piper frowned, stepping forward to grab his elbow as he passed. "Leo, just tell us what's wrong. You've been...distracted," she chose her words carefully. "Since we came back."

_You also haven't looked any of us in the eye for a week. _Jason wanted to add, though Piper seemed to have noted the same thing. His girlfriend carefully lifted Leo's gaunt looking face to hers and gasped like she'd been shocked by the same electricity Leo had.

"What? What's wrong?" Percy asked, twitching slightly.

"Oh _Leo…_" Piper breathed, staring into his eyes. "You- but how-?"

"I dunno, it's like one minute I didn't even- and then I did- and then I had to leave…man, why is this so screwed up?" he complained, scratching his head.

"Mind filling the rest of us in?" Jason asked, trying not to sound too pushy though the suspense was killing them.

Leo sighed, looking over the group with a gaze that was both distracted and slightly sad. "I-I'm trying to rebuild Festus."

"Alright…" Hazel drawled, eyebrow raised.

"But why?" Annabeth said in an echoing tone. "I mean, I know you were…friends…?"

"You've got plenty of time to rebuild the dragon." Frank stepped forward, confused.

"No, I really don't." Leo muttered, shoulders tensed like he was carrying something heavy. "She's waiting for me."

There was a pause that made the silent woods feel like they were screaming.

"Excuse me, who's waiting?" Percy vocalised the question all but Leo and Piper seemed to be wrestling with.

Nothing prepared Jason for the ferocious anger in his friend's normally laughing face when he glared at Percy. "Calypso. Calypso's waiting."

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Hazel huffed, brow furrowed as she swung around the metal work stool inside Bunker Nine. "Khione, goddess of snow and all around _psycho bitch-_"

"That's putting it mildly." Piper muttered with a raised brow. Jason had to agree.

"-launched you into the atmosphere-"

"I don't know how you two do it." Leo told Jason and Frank under his breath. "Flying is not Leo-friendly."

"-you survived because of the ball-"

Annabeth broke in here, looking putout as she looked over the bronze ball in question. "_Sphere. _It's a _sphere._"

"-and when you landed you were on Ohgeea-?"

"Ogygia." Percy, Leo and Annabeth corrected in unison. Leo threw a look that could have cut glass toward the former who had the decency to look sheepish.

"-which is the resting place of a goddess called Calypso? That _you _fell in love with?" Hazel finished, sceptically.

"It's her curse." Percy said, casting his gaze downwards with shame. "The gods send her heroes she can't help but fall in love with. But they always have to leave and Calypso can never leave the island. So she's always heart broken."

To Jason, he admitted it sounded like a horribly cruel torture. This girl lived in peace and quiet, untouched by the events of the world, her needs taken care of by unseen air spirits and yet, the thought of having to see Piper leave him, having to see dozens of Pipers leave him over the course of thousands of years-

His stomach gave a sick drop at the idea.

"No thanks to you." Leo scowled back at the son of Poseidon.

Percy grimaced but argued nevertheless. "I had to save Olympus!"

"Settle down, boys." Piper interjected, calmingly. There was a slight edge to her voice, laced in charmspeak.

"So you fell in love with her?" the quiet question came from Frank who had been working on his praetor duties for the last week and was getting the hang of his new leadership. Jason privately thought the son of Mars was doing a better job of it than he thought. Frank Zhang was a natural leader, with a quiet but growing confidence.

"Yeah." Leo scuffed the ground with his sneaker, feeling around in his pocket for the white crystal, which he raised, hesitantly, for the group. "I took this when I left and I found Odysseys' astrolabe from Bologna and I think- I think I can make it work with Festus' new system."

"Leo," Annabeth said, looking sympathetic. "No one can find Ogygia twice. It's part of the curse."

"Well it shouldn't be!" Leo suddenly roared, standing up with his hands ablaze. "She has to sit on that beach for thousands of years and watch every guy she's ever helped sail away on their own grand adventures! She just has to watch them leave, knowing they'll _never be back._"

"Leo-" Jason tried to calm him but Leo was already off, moving with frenetic energy around the workshop, grabbing pieces of bronze here, tools there, wires from all over the places.

"And why? Because she loved her dad? Because she tried to support her family? It's _not fair!"_ he bellowed, slamming his fists down on the metal worktable. Breathing hard, he looked down and found the metal had curved under the force of his heat, a pair of deep impressions visible in the warped bench. It cooled every ounce of tension in his body to see himself so out of control.

Hazel stepped forward, fearless even in the face of Leo's fury and hugged her old friend's descendant tightly. "If you think you can get back to her, then we'll help you however we can." She promised, casting her eyes over his shoulder at the group pointedly.

Jason coughed, still somewhat stunned by this turn of events but nonetheless committed. "Of course. Of course we'll help."

"So what's first?" Annabeth asked, chin raised and a milder version of Leo's determination spread across her face. By her side, Percy looked just as devoted, perhaps even more so with an edge of shame to his stance.

Leo sighed and moved toward a huge curtain covered structure towards the back of the bunker. With a slight Leo-ish flare, he pulled the curtain off, revealing the skeletal structure of an enormous, familiar dragon. "First? I need to make him fly."


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N: I'm so bad at keeping to a schedule but this is just a _short one_ right? It can't hurt…)**

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**CHAPTER THREE**

The first time Leo could look Percy in the eyes properly since he'd met Calypso, Percy was tentatively working on Festus' hydraulic circuitry with his brother.

"No brother!" Tyson snorted, gently batting the hero's hand away from the tubing. "That connects here, see?"

"No. I don't see." But far from looking put out, Percy laughed. "You're just going to have to be the genius of the family, Ty."

The Cyclops looked pleased by the idea and set to work connecting Festus' "plumbing" if you will. Every now and then, Percy's brow would furrow from where he sat at the head of the dragon. "No, it's not flowing up here. It's moving that way." He pointed and Tyson's huge but clever fingers would fix the problem.

Leo had thus far avoided Percy for the simple reason that he was both angry and embarrassed by the sight of him. Percy was his friend, he'd saved Leo's butt on several occasions and kept the group together when everything looked fit to fall apart. It wasn't Percy's fault that Calypso had fallen in loved with him. It wasn't even Percy's fault that he had left her.

He was right, after all. He had a world to save.

But it didn't stop the anger from flowing richly through Leo's veins when he caught Percy's gaze or supervised him working on Festus with Tyson. Because at the end of the day, Percy had been another hero who had left Calypso alone and stranded on an island in the midst of a twisted curse.

He'd come back from a mandatory lunch break to find the half-brothers in the bunker working hard and fought the temptation to walk back out. He'd already wasted an hour eating because Piper threatened to make him tie himself to the dining pavilion if he didn't but that didn't mean he could afford to put off his work any longer.

As always, the smell of cinnamon, the sound of rushing waves and a bright laugh and the feeling of slightly dirty hands clutching his neck slid through his mind along with the same thought. _Calypso is waiting for me._

She could tell him she hated him all she liked but Leo knew better. Rafts didn't show up for just _anyone_ on Ogygia. So he ignored the pair and got to work on lining Festus' wings with thick canvas in an attempt to make him faster. But Tyson would not be ignored.

"Leo! You are back!" he shouted, cheerfully. "Now I can show you dragon's water flow!"

"That's alright Tyson," Leo called back, pointedly ignoring Percy. "I'm sure it's perfect." Which was actually the truth. Leo had a tendency of double checking everyone's work with Festus but Tyson's was always precise and it was always perfect.

"Okay Leo!" the Cyclops replied, turning back to the dragon who seemed to be coming alive with each day.

The tinkerer had just finished the last of Festus' wings when he heard Percy tell Tyson he was taking a quick break. _Don't talk to me Percy, _he thought in his head. _I'm an enormous jerk._

"Leo?"

"Yeah?" the word came out harsher than he intended and Leo winced. "I mean, what's up?"

"I want to talk. About Calypso." Percy said, jumping headfirst into the topic without any fuss. Leo could appreciate the frankness. It did not mean he wanted to have this conversation. In fact, he would rather pluck out his eyeballs with a hatchet.

"Percy, I don't think now is the best time-" he begun, averting his gaze but the sea demigod would not be deterred.

"I want to apologise. To you. To her. I made her a promise that I make the gods help her and they forgot about her." Percy's voice was grim, grim enough that Leo raised his eyes to his face. "It wasn't fair of me, not when she's had so many people break promises to her."

"You're right. It wasn't." Leo agreed, stonily. "She asked me, you know, when I managed to get some reception out of the looking glass. When Reyna disappeared from the mirror, she asked me if she was my girlfriend. My Annabeth."

Percy cringed and then his face smoothed over with a hint of wistfulness in his sea green eyes. "When I was on that island, Calypso told me I could stay. That I could leave the prophecy behind and live with her. I was so tempted but then I thought about Annabeth and camp, and everyone who might die if I stayed. All the reasons I had to leave."

"I think she really liked you, Percy." Leo frowned. "I think she thought you might be the one to stay." It had certainly sounded that way, from how she mentioned Percy's name with equal parts sadness and bitterness.

But Percy was already shaking his head and chuckling lowly. "She knew about Annabeth from the first day I landed. I talk in my sleep. She knew I wouldn't stay. But you…" he smiled awkwardly. "The way you talk about her, how she helped you build a boat to leave. You were different Valdez."

The boys paused for a long moment, caught up in a web of awkwardness and mutual nostalgia for a beautiful, sun filled island and a lovely lonely girl with a pretty smile.

"Brother! Something is wrong with this pipe! It explodes out of the dragon's…_err_…backside!" Tyson suddenly called, befuddlement in his voice.

Percy chuckled. "I'll be right there!" he replied, breaking the moment. As he walked away though, he turned back to Leo with a hesitant grin. "You know Annabeth and I asked for Damasen and Bob to be released from Tartarus when the gods came to thank us." He said, somewhat randomly.

"The giant and the titan?" Leo frowned, confused. "And they actually went for that? Has Zeus been sucking on his lightning bolts again?"

A loud rumble of thunder bellowed out from outside and Leo shrugged in response to the invisible grumble.

"Yeah. Well, the gods are working on it. Hades has to work around Tartarus but Bob's already out. He's settled down off the coast of Australia I think." Percy explained with a shrug. "I'm just saying. That's what Annabeth and I asked for. Everyone else got their rewards. Everyone but you."

The idea seemed to connect at electrical points all over his body like a circuit board. It straightened his spine, widened his eyes, made his fingers twitch. He could ask for her, for her freedom. Percy had asked once but when the gods didn't deliver, he had forgotten about it. Leo planned to be far more annoying about it. She'd been punished enough, she'd dismissed Gaea even when her grandmother offered her freedom.

Surely that counted for something?

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**A/N: To everyone who favourited, followed, read or reviewed, thank you and I hope you're liking it so far. Calypso will feature in the sixth chapter I believe so HANG ON THERE!**

**From Chapter Two**

**Razberry Magic: Please keep reading! :) Love hearing back from people. Makes me freak out over my keyboard.  
Tara Luna Apple: I'm trying to keep to Riordan's style as much as possible so I'm glad you like it.**

**anaklusmos26 (cool name): Luckily, I can put into words the feels I get: gasdkCALEOfljfaME TOO!**

**fowlsprincess6138: Thanks for reading it! I promise when I actually grow self control, I'll try to update on Mondays and Fridays (fingers crossed)**

**tenneyshoes (ten-ee-s-shoes-ten-is- oh I GET IT!): I'm trying to keep to Rick Riordan's style as best I can. Sometimes I make Leo say something sappy and then delete and say the same thing just snarkier. Glad you're liking it! If you have any suggestions of 'firsts' you want to see, please review them?**

**souffles: my stealth chapters are ninjas in the night. They have no names, merely lovely people who review them. Thanks :)**

**Chapter One**

**mia: nawww, shucks! You're so sweet.**

**Gabie: I will definitely be making more. I have made more. In my head. Thank you for reading!**

**callmemisstayla: Miss Tayla, you just wait, these two express affection by picking on each other.**

**PhoenixFire777: I'm sending you psychic urges to write a PJO fanfic. Wriiiiiite…Caleeeeeoooo…(glad you liked it!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N: IT'S HERE! I SUCCESSFULLY WAITED TO (ALMOST) MONDAY (MY SELF CONTROL MUST BE KICKING IN) AND I REALLY **_**REALLY **_**HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT :)**

**Shy x.**

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

The first time Leo intentionally called for his father, his half-siblings were sceptical.

"Why do you want to call him again?" Nyssa asked, suspiciously as Leo began to prep Festus' head for transplant.

"I told you, I want to ask him a question about my mother." He replied, gnawing on the end of his screwdriver. "Does that look right to you?"

Nyssa picked up the dragon head which wiggled impatiently in her grip and shrugged. "It could use another transcommunicator here for the vision capacity."

"I _knew _it was missing something." Leo mumbled, snapping his fingers for Buford the mechanical table. "Buford? Bring me a transcommunicator would you?"

The table shuddered in reply and trotted off, weaving through the sons and daughters of Hephaestus even though it bore no eyes.

"Maybe you should rethink calling on Dad, man." Jake Mason called from his perch in the catwalks where he was working on a chariot that swung suspended in chains from the ceiling.

"Yeah, he's not so gracious about being called up for no reason." Another brother of his, Shane Brown added with a warning look.

"I've never met him." Eleven-year-old Natalie Ram muttered, accidentally ripping out a piece of wiring from her automaton rabbit. She set it aside with slight sigh and went to work fix the patch.

Nyssa rolled her eyes, tossing back Festus' head with deceptive strength. "Suit yourself, Valdez. But do me a favour? Don't call him when everyone else is around. If he's grouchy, we're not all fire proof like you." She chuckled as she walked away.

* * *

That night, he asked his friends not to come to Bunker Nine. They'd argued of course, repeating over and over that if he was going to face a god, even his father, he should do it with their support.

"We'd just feel better if you had some back up." Frank said finally in a very diplomatic tone.

"I _don't need _backup." Leo said, pointedly. "He's my _Dad."_

"But what if he says no?" Piper asked in a small voice.

Leo stuck his hands in his tool belt to keep from revealing how they shook at the idea. The more he'd thought about what Percy said, the more he realised how narrow-sighted he'd been thinking. It was all very well and good for Leo to set out to find Ogygia but if he couldn't free Calypso, what good would it do?

"He owes me." Leo said, finally. "They all do. They owe us because even when they decided to disconnect Olympus and pretend Gaea wasn't rising, we saved their immortal butts. I'm not going to let them forget it."

Finally, all six left him alone and Leo took a deep breath before setting up the main forge with the driest firewood and heating the flames until they were ravenously hot. Nyssa had given him some tips on how to attract Hephaestus' attention from what she'd heard from previous councillors but she'd also said that Charles Beckendorf was the only one to successfully call upon their father before he'd died two years ago.

He withdrew the small satchel of rubies and pearls that Hazel and Percy had collected for him and tossed them into the flames. "Dad? It's me, Leo. You know, the short one?" he called, aiming for a joke though there was no response but the crackle of flames melting the precious offering. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Look, I know you're super busy and all, but I have to talk to you. I-I need to ask you for a favour."

"A favour?" a gruff voice echoed from behind him and Leo span around, hammer withdrawn in his left hand, right hand ablaze with crackling flames. "Put those away kid. They're not gonna do you much good."

"Dad." Leo greeted, sheepishly putting away his weapon. "Sorry, reflex."

Hephaestus' dark coal eyes tightened slightly. "I never really wanted that for you kiddo." He wore a greased pair of overalls and a ripped t-shirt that revealed just how broad and muscular his arms and shoulders were, his beard overgrown as per usual like a birds nest.

_Am I ever going to get that big? _He wondered absent-mindedly. _Or do I just get to be scrawny and linguine-armed for the rest of my life?_

"I've spent a lot of my immortal life in the forges, Valdez. It's not exactly light work." Hephaestus suddenly answered, snickering slightly. At Leo's somewhat wary look, he added: "All my kids think the same thing."

"I bet." Leo muttered before he set his shoulders and furrowed his brow. _Well I'm not on fire. Not grouchy then._

"Oh no," Hephaestus muttered, looking over the bunker with interest. He stopped beside Festus' nearly completed left leg and handily pieced together some of the pressure plates that were giving Leo trouble. "I know that look."

"What look?" Leo asked, frowning even more.

"_That _look." Hephaestus pointed to him. "I'm not great with people, son but I know what that face means. Your mother looked exactly the same way before she asked why I wouldn't visit you."

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask why Hephaestus _hadn't _visited him, when he'd seen his mother but not his son but Leo let the cool sensation of strong but soft hands clutching his neck and the faint smell of cinnamon to bring him back to focus. _Calypso is waiting for me._

Hephaestus watched him knowingly as though testing Leo's restraint. "When we came back from Greece, when Gaea got her butt kicked back into the tectonic plates, the gods showed up when they'd defeated the giants."

"They did." Hephaestus agreed, seemingly only paying half his attention to his son.

"Annabeth and Percy," Leo's mouth went a little dry but he continued on. "They asked for a titan and a giant to be released from Tartarus. One of them already is."

"Ah yes, Iapetus. Though I believe his name is now Bob?" Hephaestus answered, casually.

Leo got the feeling his father was playing with him and he slumped with a moan. "C'mon Dad, cut me some slack here."

"Why?" the iron god seemed to be enjoying himself. "You haven't even really asked me anything yet."

"The Olympians- _you_- granted them favours." Leo pointed out, gritting his teeth as his father chuckled slightly. Leo neglected to mention that the reason he hadn't been around to collect his favour the first time was because Gaea had buried him under a mountain and he was unconscious. It felt like it went without saying. "I want to cash in."

"Cash in?"

"Cash in. Redeem. Use. Collect $200 and pass go!" Leo bristled. "I don't care what you call it, I want my favour."

"At least you don't beat about the bush." Hephaestus grunted, sounding a little putout by Leo's rudeness. "What do you want kid?"

"I want you to free Calypso from her curse."

Hephaestus seemed to choke on his own spit, if it were possible for an immortal to choke on one's own spit. "You _what?_"

"You heard me." Leo's whole body took on a rigidity that felt eerily familiar to gearing up for battle. He might be a jerk, manipulative, a liar, a trickster, occasionally mean and rude but he was _nothing _if not stubborn. "I want her free to leave Ogygia."

"Can't you just ask for a bicycle that shoots lasers like every other kid?" Hephaestus complained, running a hand through his bristly hair and moving forward with his limp.

"I have a dragon that shoots fire." Leo crossed his arms and Festus gave a small huff of steam. "He _will _shoot fire once I connect him." He amended before continuing. "This is what I want."

"Leo, I can't just release her. Her fate was for eternity. That was the price for her betrayal." Hephaestus recited with a bit of bitterness in his tone.

"She's been on that island for millennia, Dad."

"Percy already made you all swear on the Styx!"

Hephaestus rolled his eyes. "If he really wanted it done, he should've specified when."

Leo's tone hardened to steel. "The gods offered me a favour, anything I wanted. This is what I want."

Hephaestus squinted at his son, eying him with a quiet intensity. "This is what you want?"

"This is what I want."

Sighing, the god of the forges rubbed his eyes and shrugged, helplessly. "Then we better get the Big Guy involved. I _hate _getting him involved, kiddo."

With that, he snapped his fingers and immortal father and demigod son disappeared in a flash of bright white flames.

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**(A/N: Thanks for reading and I've decided chapter updates will be on Mondays (and occasionally (let's be honest, _many_) Fridays). So happy everyone's liked this so far!)**

**Fluff-is-awesome (I agree, fluff makes the world go round): I was considering actually having Leo punch Percy but then I realised Leo is more passive aggressive than that. Leo's been working nonstop for days by now so I'd like to think he was on a short fuse. Thanks for reading and reviewing :)**

**Knightlark (cool name): I LOVE YOU! Percabeth is tucked inside my heart alongside Gadge, Percabeth and Jily too! I'm glad you think it's different (though you're right, some things are universal across Caleo fics right?) Thanks for reviewing, I really appreciate the feedback.**

**Caleo lover: I love you. Glad you're liking it ;)**

**Moomoomoopie: There are many more coming (I hope) and as of yet, I don't even have my ending planned (that could be a good thing or a bad thing). Also, saying oh my gods is adorable. Thank you for reading it!**

**HAHAHAHA: There is more, I promise. I hope. I think. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it ;)**

**Nerdy Athletic (what a coincidence, I'm Nerdy Lethargic): Awww, thanks! Calypso appears in Chapter Six, I promise. Also, her relationship with technology is part of my later chapters but you're right, looking devices and glasses are mentioned but Calypso's magic only allows her to see the past not the present or future so she'll have to suffer without Leo for a little while. (JUST A LITTLE WHILE). Wow, that was super long and cryptic but it'll make sense later. I hope.**

**27lablover: OH MY GODS, YOU'RE THE CUTEST THING EVER! And your offering of nectar, ambrosia and blue chocolate chip cookies has won me over, here is your next chapter!**

**Tenneyshoes: Thanks! I think I read too much PJO, Riordan had hijacked my style for the time being. Also, I hope you will thoroughly enjoy snarky Leo and Calypso's second meeting. The first sentence is: **The first time a man found his way to Ogygia twice, Calypso immediately jumped to the conclusion that Gaea and worry and three thousand years of loneliness and heartbreak had finally caused her mind to collapse. **I'd love to hear further suggestions later on!**

**Dids107: I'm so glad! You won't have to wait too long, I promise, every Monday with an occasional Friday I think :)**

**SophieRosey2001: Let's take some deep breat- NO WHO AM I KIDDING LET'S FANGIRL ABOUT HOW AMAZING AND CUTE CALEO IS-! "No Mum, I'm fine, just answering reviews!"- OH MY GODS OH MY GODS EEEEEK! THANKS FOR READING!**

**Blackseawolf: Naww, thanks :) Will definitely keep it up, I hope you keep enjoying it!**

**Meganreads (so do I): I picture Piper as being a bit of a mother hen for the group when they come back because, well **_**child of Aphrodite**_**, but also because she has the strongest defensive love for everyone. She thinks a lot about how she wishes she could protect her friends more. In my head, Piper's a 'I-don't-care-what-they-broke-do-**_**not**_**-touch-my-friends' kind of person. ( tag/cats/1658_i-dont-care-what-they-broke-dont-you -dare-yell-at-my-little-marshmallows) I'm really glad you're all liking this! Thanks for the feedback!**

**Cookielover1441peace: WILL DO!111 And also, of course Percy managed to insult both camps. He's got a mouth the size of Canada. :)**

**Tara Luna Apple: THANKS! I love that you're loving it, hope you keep loving it and reading it :)**

**Nyx120 (**_**that **_**is a cool username): I'm hoping to publish a little more evenly now: Mondays and the occasional Friday. Really happy you like it *blushes***

**Laslus: Please keep reading?**_** Please? **_**Calypso shows up in Chapter six I promise and then they'll (eventually) find their way back to each other because **_**c'mon **_**they're PERFECT! ;)**

**Maplegirl: I never stop writing. It overtakes my brain every second of every day. I fail classes because of it. Glad you're enjoying it all :)**

**Girl Who Writes: I will! Look! I'm uploading now! Really hope you like this chapter too**

**Totalbooknerd13: Me too, Caleo literally bulldozed me and now I just write like crazy. Hope you like this chapter, if you've got any 'firsts' you'd like to see, please review them to me?**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N: Iiiiiit's FRIDAY! Thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, follows or favourites, you all give me miniature heart attacks every time I get a notification from you :3)**

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**CHAPTER FIVE**

The first time Leo met Zeus face to face on Olympus, he was recovering from smoke inhalation and swearing loudly in Spanish.

"_Maldicione!_"

"Oh stop complaining."

"_Pendejo! Ahhh!" _Leo wheezed, half convinced he was coughing up a lung.

"You're fireproof kiddo." His father pointed out as he cleared the smoke from their entrance away with a clap of his hands.

"I don't think that extends to lung damage!" Leo accused, still coughing even as he began to realise the wooden floors of Bunker Nine had been replaced by glistening white marble with streaks of gold and silver running through it.

"By all means, continue shouting and bellowing in the throne room. It's not as though it's a symbol of Olympian might and power or anything." Came a low, dry voice that reminded Leo _a lot _of a certain huntress he knew.

Blinking more smoke from his eyes (seriously, Leo didn't usually have this problem. His Dad must've put tear gas in it or something), he glanced upwards, studying the huge cavernous space before him, filled with twelve enormous thrones sculpted for their various gods.

Only four were filled.

"Zeus, I am tired." Leo's former nanny, Tia Callida, complained, her posture impeccable as she studied the pair before her. "Make this quick."

"Oh great, this is going to be fun." Leo muttered and Hephaestus seemed to grunt in agreement as he strode towards his seat, his oily jumpsuit somehow shedding and morphing into a plain _chiton _the colour of steel with hammers embroidered into the hem.

"What is this about, Hephaestus?" a beautiful woman in a bright green dress snapped, her dark haired braided with leaves like her children at Camp Half-Blood often did. "The council is not even full."

"My son, Leo Valdez of the Seven has decided what he desires in return for defeating our lady grandmother Gaea." Hephaestus boomed, his voice echoing around the ethereal white chamber.

As his father spoke, Leo took a sneaky step towards one of the columns that bordered the room, rising high until they disappeared into the glittering night sky. Just a quick brush of his fingers revealed the column's inner gears and switches. "It's all mechanised." He observed, absently studying the hollow core. "I wonder…"

"Leo?" Hephaestus sighed as though his son was quite an embarrassment. "You've woken several Olympians tonight, focus on the problem at hand, son."

_Do gods even sleep? _He wondered for a moment before deciding it was not the question he had better ask. Abashed, Leo withdrew his hand and stepped into the enormous U of thrones, his eyes studying first his dad's wife, Lady Love, who sat primly in her seat, clothed in a silk negligee and pretty pink robe and then the King of the Heavens, Master of Lightning, Mr-Hey-You-Get-Off-My-Cloud-Or-I'll-Ram-My-Lightni ng-Bolt-Somewhere-Painful, Zeus, himself.

The King of Gods wore pinstriped pyjamas, fuzzy slippers and an unamused look in his electric blue eyes.

"Right." Leo concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, even though he was starting to wish he'd taken his friends' advice and let them tag along. He'd briefly met some of the Olympians but he'd collapsed from being buried beneath the mountain of Gaea, which was sort of embarrassing.

"Speak, Leo of the Seven," Zeus said, sarcastically. "I'm interested to hear what you have decided upon."

The wryness in his voice set Leo's teeth on edge and while he had fought for months to protect the way of the gods, to protect his fellow demigods and his friends, he could suddenly picture very clearly a dozen Olympians who created punishments like turning mortals into cattle or burning out the eyes of a peeping tom or cursing a faithful daughter to fall in love with heroes who will only ever leave her.

Tightening his hands into fists, Leo met Zeus' gaze head on. "I want Calypso freed from her curse."

The silence that permeated the room was almost too much for him to bear but the fire starter forced himself not to twitch, though his ADHD was suddenly kicking in like crazy.

Zeus snorted finally. "It's not precisely as simple as snapping my fingers, hero. No, there are processes, procedures to be followed-" he blustered on.

"No?" Leo echoed, clenching his teeth. "My friends and I risked our lives for you. You cut yourselves off from us when we were facing a threat from your own _grandmother _and we _still _didn't abandon you. We reunited the Romans and Greeks which hasn't happened _ever, _saved you all from going utterly _loco _and attacking your different personas _and _resisted Gaea's offers, even though compared to you at certain points, they were pretty damn tempting!"

Aphrodite smiled brightly. "I say let her go. I've been waiting for a very long time for this particular story to come to a happy ending. I'll admit you weren't my first choice but you'll do nicely." Leo tried to not focus on that last part.

"I said no! I can't simply _make it so, _you demigods don't understand the work that goes into imprisoning an immortal!" Zeus stated, firmly though his voice took a slight whine toward the end. "Besides, how is it going to look if I start revoking punishments here and there? How am I going to set a standard?"

"You want to set a standard?" Leo argued back, unable to help himself. "Your wife put me in a fireplace and let me play with snakes when I was a baby! She erased the memories of my friends and nearly caused another civil war to break out! _You ignored Gaea and stuck your head in the sand like an ostrich!"_

"Hera! Honestly woman!" Zeus threw his hands up though his wife seemed far more interested in Leo than her husband.

"Did you just compare the Lord of the Skies to a flightless bird?" Demeter asked in a dull tone though her eyes betrayed her amusement.

"Damn straight I did!" Leo was on a roll now. Talking was one of his best skills. "I haven't asked for anything and the one thing I do ask, you say no? Percy already asked the same thing when he stood here a year ago and you said yes then!"

"It's not exactly an easy request, hero!" Zeus snarled, his beard rising with electricity. "Calypso is the daughter of Atlas and she supported him in his war against us, her punishment was woven quite tightly!"

"She also told Gaea to take a hike from Ogygia when she asked Calypso to kill me and gain her freedom." Leo pointed out, triumphantly.

Zeus groaned, clutching his head. "This is too much! Hephaestus, control your son."

"I'm afraid Leo is pretty damn headstrong, father." His Dad shrugged, unbothered. "Reigning him in is harder than it looks."

"Look, you already agreed once and you didn't follow through." Leo pointed out, heading straight for the weak spot. "What's stopping you now?"

"In a moment of weakness!" Zeus growled. "That Jackson boy deliberately asked at his opportune time! The matter should be restudied!"

"I didn't think gods _had _moments of weakness!" Leo countered, recalling a small piece of advice Annabeth had given him before he left. _The one flaw all gods share is their pride. Prick it and they bleed ichor._

"Well look, it's a decision for the whole council to make-" Zeus began to lecture though Aphrodite coughed daintily.

"Actually, we only require a half council to pass judgement." The Lady of Love interjected, politely with a victorious smirk.

"I'm being overrun by hormonal females." Zeus complained under his breath, instantly earning himself the glares of the three goddesses in the room. "Oh fine, someone go wake Hermes."

* * *

**(A/N: Poor Zeus. He's not doing very well is he? Did anyone catch the sneaky Disney Hercules reference?)**

**cecld16: If Leo doesn't find Calypso in Blood of Olympus, heads will roll. Luckily, in my universe, happy endings do prevail. Most times. Thanks for reading!**

**Explosivefrogs: You are awesome (no, seriously, people on this website make me jump up and down like a little kid on sweets) and I hope you like chapter five!**

**Miisting: awww shucks. Hope you enjoyed this one too. Calypso next chapter, I promise!**

**Souffles: Hello again! I think I've been reading too much Riordan lately, his style is very easy to slip into but I'm glad you like it :) Also: CALEO? Holy Hephaestus, they had me at 'Leo disliked her instantly'!**

**Tenneyshoes: Seriously, you can't send me firsts like that. They give me small heart attacks. (I **_**am**_** going nuts. But Leo does not **_**buy **_**his girl jewellery; he **_**makes**_** it…preferably with some kind of killer gadget attached to it. (Yes, Leo would think it was the greatest ring ever) (No, Calypso would not find it amusing.)My writer's senses are tingling…) Honestly, I'm glad people seem to like Hephaestus, he's difficult to write at times. Hope you like chapter six, it's CALYPSO TIME!**

**Laslus: Hi again! I've got plenty more adventures and arguments for those two planned and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Next Monday is Calypso! Hopefully!**

**Guest: WILL DO!**

**Cookielover1441peace: Poor Seaweed Brain. Honestly, he's lucky to have Annabeth there to shut him up.**

**Dids107: Thanks! Lord of the Forge is tricky to write, all the gods are in fact. I'm trying to balance the sense of immortal power vs a tendency to screw each other over out of pettiness. Glad you like it so far!**

**Totalbooknerd13: Surprisingly, I'm excited about this too! The ideas are bubbling away like crazy!**

**Magpiefeather: *blushes hard enough to catch fire* **_**You **_**are perfect, my friend. I'm so glad you like it!**

**Guest: Agreed, Calypso and Leo **_**are **_**the best. So glad you're enjoying it and the style (experimenting with Riordan's style is shaping up okay so far), hope you like chapter five!**

**Callmemisstayla: Miss Tayla, the reunion will be…eventual, might be the right word. I really didn't want to have Leo act differently from how he's portrayed in the books so I'm happy no one thinks he's acting oddly. Also, this is my mechanism for coping with the wait until Blood of Olympus too so we must keep strong and CALEO on! (hope you like chapter five!)**

**Julia: On it, boss! Updating ASAP!**

**Winonabcd: *****shrieks* SERIOUSLY? LIKE ON AN ACTUAL PAGE? LIKE ON THE INTERNET? I'm sending you mental hugs and happy dances will I drool and melt all over my keyboard. (Also, I'm incredibly flattered, thank you so much :) )**

**Geekmaster13: It has occurred to me. Can you imagine baby Zeus eating lightning bolts? What an adorable cutie. Then he grew up and never learned how to keep it in his pants…**

**That'sthe411: I'm not sure if I should encourage you to read HoH or prepare you for the eventual heartbreak that certain points will bring…hmm…Lazel was adorable for a while but I can't help it, I'm a Caleo girl at heart. Hope you liked chapter five!**

**NerdyAthletic: I legitimately used to tell my PE teachers I had a severe lethargy condition and I **_**almost **_**got away with it. Almost. Really happy everyone likes Hephaestus, he was my biggest worry. Gods are hard to write. Very pleased that cryptic was okay, I tend to write answers as though everyone already knows the rest of my story (helpful, I know right?) and I hope the speed of the story isn't too slow for everyone. I want to take time with each part though. Hope you liked chapter five!**

**Angel's Apple: *blushes* nawww….you can't say things like this, I go so pink that I look sunburned :3 (thankyou) As for Blood of Olympus, this is my coping mechanism as well and if Calypso does not get off that **_**freaking **_**island in the next book, heads will roll. Caleo fangirls will raise an army of pitchforks and wailing to win their happy ending! HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER!**

**Aztec Moustache (I like that name): Caleo FTW! Just **_**try **_**keeping them apart, Riordan. **_**Try it.**_** (Hope you liked this chapter :) )**

**Rodo272: Yay about this chapter too perhaps? ;)**

**Dragonrider2345: Do I mind? Well, you know it's a big step in a writers life and I really have to think- NO OF COURSE NOT, FAV AWAY YOU WONDERFUL WONDERFUL READER :D :D :D Glad you're enjoying it so far ;)**

**Hannahthemelon (welcome, I myself am Shytheapple): I'm really glad you like the writing style, I've been trying to focus on Riordan's book as closely as possible. Knowing that I've replicated the Riordan-jitters (we all get them, let's be honest) makes me so HAaappYyy! Let the Caleo passion burn, really glad you're enjoying it so far!**

**The Jesteress (like the name ;) ): BRONZE BULLS, BUY THE SHIP AND I CALL SHOTGUN ON BEING FIRST MATE! Glad you like it and I really hope you enjoy what's coming. Next chapter: CALYPSO…sort of.**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N: Super short one today, I'm afraid but there is Calypso! Kind of. Next update is this Friday. Quick Question: How many of you guys are doing National Novel Writing Month this November? I'm practically vibrating with the amount of caffeine I've digested since the 1****st****)**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

The first time Calypso realised something was wrong with the gods, she also wished she _hadn't _been visited on her island, although it was hardly the first time she'd prayed for such a thing, despite her solitude. It had been years since her last hero had arrived and she was beginning to ache with loneliness.

Sometimes she would talk to herself or the silent air spirits moving efficiently around Ogygia or the plants and animals she tended to. Her garden, in particular, was an excellent conversationalist in her imagination. Calypso would often trim the dead leaves from her pear trees or weed out her moon lace flowers and talk of all manner of things. She talked about the heroes who had left her, the gods who cursed her, the outside world which seemed to remain in turmoil more than peace.

She had been nervous for months after Percy left, mainly because the last she heard the Lord of Time and Bane of the Olympians, Kronos was growing stronger and it was until several weeks after he'd been defeated in what proved to be a spectacular battle in the far of city of Manhattan that anyone had thought to tell her.

Calypso could've hugged Hermes when he finally appeared to tell her, though he seemed saddened even as he described his son's sudden burst of heroism in his last moments.

She didn't, of course, hug him. She learned very early in her punishment not to give gods- particularly Olympians like Apollo and Hermes- the wrong impression.

The gods who visited her were often only there to boost their own egos and typically left empty handed and sulking. She'd managed to stay off the Olympians radar for a millennia or so but one day Hermes let his fat mouth slip and all of a sudden, she had Apollo on her beaches, tall, beautiful and naked as a babe.

She had to admit, she'd been tempted. For Olympus' sake, Apollo was _beautiful _to look at and when he traced the neckline of her dress, the heat of his fingertips left a pink flush on her lightly tanned skin.

But Calypso knew encouraging such affections would only end badly. The sun god had been reasonably surprised by her demands for him to dress. "Why would I, beautiful?" he'd crooned, smiling with all the heat of the sun he carted around. "I'm here to make your day."

"You can _make my day, _Lord Apollo by redressing and leaving me alone." She had snapped back, irritably. It was reasonably difficult to impress her through sheer looks alone, considering she'd been around gorgeous immortals from birth. Titans, minor gods, spirits- in her youth, she might have been flattered by Apollo's charms but she was nearing a thousand by that time and she was sick of pretty words and beautiful faces with nothing beneath them.

It was what made her heroes so tragic because they were so handsome and charming but it was always the inner sense of kindness, nobility, generosity and consideration that really ripped her heart from her chest.

At the time, Apollo had been somewhat offended. "You're lucky I even stopped my chariot!" he complained when she tossed his _chiton _at his head. "No one's given you the time of day since Fates knows when!"

"Woe is me," she responded, dryly. "I'm sure I will survive."

Ares had been next and it had been far less pleasant. The war god was not in the habit of accepting defeat gracefully and had done his best to fill her with a sense of violent lust. Calypso had retreated to the water where she felt strongest until he left, cursing his wounded pride.

After that, as she understood it, it became a sort of game to some of the gods. She had several show up on her shores, telling her how beautiful and sweet she was and wasn't it such a shame that such a lovely creature was cooped up on this tiny island? Hermes had been slightly apologetic but the twinkle of mischief in his eyes made her fume.

"I am not some stupid air-headed nymph!" she bellowed when he tried telling her it was a compliment. "I am a daughter of Titans and the next god who thinks I'll fall for some insipid little love poem will feel my wrath!"

When Dionysus showed up in a deceptively attractive young form, looking rosy cheeked and a little wild, Calypso had used his drunkenness to her advantage and trapped him on the beach, tying his arms and legs down in the sand and waited for the tide to come in.

Before he began to drown (hardly enough to kill him but not exactly pleasant either), she released him and made him swear to tell every god on Olympus and all of Greece that she was not to be trifled with. Occasionally, Apollo would forget he'd visited her before or a passing wind god would visit her out of curiosity but slowly, she fell off the god's radar once again, visible only to the heroes who appeared to her.

Not all stopped visiting however. Hephaestus appeared occasionally for a little while, sometimes even Oceanids who frolicked in the bay, never speaking to her or setting foot on the island. Never for long but such visits were normally welcome. Hermes, in particular, had always been rather polite and so when he had appeared after the Second Titan War, Calypso felt saddened by his loss.

At the same time though, she cheered knowing that Percy had succeeded, that the world he had been fighting for was once again safe. A small part of her wondered if he might come back to her now, retire from a dangerous world of monsters and mayhem.

(He didn't. Calypso knew he wouldn't.)

Peace reclaimed Ogygia and Calypso lost count 64 days after Hermes left. Time passed so strangely here that Calypso found, without the motivation of learning about her latest hero, it seemed useless to keep track. Some days she found herself looking wistfully off to sea, recalling her favourite son of Poseidon, wondering if he was swimming or battling monsters or kissing his beloved Annabeth and enjoying his friends' company.

Of all her heroes, Percy Jackson had been the most engaging, the one with the most interesting stories and tales of the outside world. Unconcerned with politics or the greater state of the world, Percy talked about his friends, about his adventures and his family. It made her homesick for her own family though they were long gone.

Hermes had briefly mentioned that Percy had asked for amnesty for her, a release from her curse but Calypso could clearly see she had been forgotten in the mess. A wayward promise that had never been fully realised.

She judged that it must have been years _at least _before her next visitor arrived, a slightly worn out looking Hermes whose eyes were shadowed with anxiety and worry.

"Something is stirring." He warned with a deep frown. His face twitched and for a second Calypso thought she saw his face morph into a solemn, harder expression.

"Lord Hermes, are you feeling well?" she asked, concerned. But when she put her hand out, the god leapt away as though she'd slashed a knife at him.

"Keep aware, Calypso, daughter of Atlas." Hermes' voice sounded low and rough, almost blended somehow. She backed away slightly. "She awakens…"

The words froze Calypso's spine. "S-she awakens? Surely not-"

"I must go." Hermes' eyes went blank and then tumultuous and back all in the space of a second. "Keep aware, Titan's child. The earth stirs." And then in the blink of an eye, the frazzled Olympian had disappeared, leaving the young goddess with a building sensation of dread deep in her belly.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Calypso waited for more news, clarification, any kind of sign that Hermes had been mistaken.

Surely Hermes had not spoken truly. The earth mother had not risen for thousands of years, not since her father had been a young Titan enjoying the spoils of his dominated world. The very idea of her, the ancient goddess rising from her cavernous sleeping place, bending the entire world to her iron will-

Calypso felt ill just thinking of it.

No one would be safe if her great-grandmother rose. The terrifying earth mother would have the planet destroyed and razed to the ground, mortals thrown to the monsters, demigods slaughtered, the Olympians toppled from Mount Olympus and terrifying, cruel giants in their place.

Every day that passed only heightened Calypso's anxiety. For the first time in centuries, she yelled at the skies, roared for an answer, her anger and fear boiling the water around the island until the air sweltered with humidity and heat.

But no one came. No gods calming her wild theories, no heroes with news from the rest of the globe, no messengers of any kind.

As time continued on in the slow drags and quick beats so common to Ogygia, Calypso found herself bitterly cursing the day Hermes had appeared to her.

* * *

**(A/N: Next Friday will be the first of Calypso's POV in House of Hades! Hope you liked this chapter, I remembered quotes from Sea of Monsters where Circe is talking to Annabeth: **_**The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women!**_** I figured that in her prime, Calypso was probably **_**not **_**someone you wanted to mess with.**

**Then I thought: pretty girl, secluded on an island? The gods **_**so **_**wouldn't leave that alone. Eh, more fool them. My version of Calypso is not putting up with their godly seduction shit.**

**Now, reviews!**

**Dragonrider2345: Yay, I did update! Thank you for favouriting and I hope you liked Calypso's debut. What did you think, is she too much? Caleo (of a sort) next chapter, I promise!**

**The Invisible Pretender: Poor Zeus cops a lot of crap in this story. Glad you enjoyed his suffering ;)**

**TinyRules: Leo's dialogue is really fun to write so I'm glad you liked it :) Update on Friday!**

**Guest: Sorry, I'm captain aboard the Caleo ship, it's the most adorable ship in my fleet, I'll admit. Glad you enjoyed it, next chapter is Friday!**

**Fowlsprincess6138: Here she is! Did you like her? I wondered if she wasn't a bit too harsh for her character?**

**Tenneyshoes: OoooOoOOOh…I'm sensing a Percy-Calypso-Leo reunion in my future ;) Did you like her character this chapter? I wonder if I didn't go overboard slightly. Also, next chapter is **_**(finally) **_**Leo and Calypso meeting in HoH for the first time :D Love your 'first' suggestions so far too!**

**Angel's Apple: About your review, I didn't like it much either. It made me shriek and jump up and down like a fangirl and I had to explain to my little sister that no, I didn't see a spider, I just have awesome people reading my story. I'm hoping the chapter size will increase on average but there are some that are just shorter. Hope you liked Calypso's entrance and their first meeting is next Friday, I promise :D thank you so much for reading!**

**Guest: You are absolutely amazing! I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you like next chapter too!**

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: Thanks *blushes* :D**

**Tara Luna Apple: Will definitely keep writing, glad I made your day, you should know every notification I get on my email makes mine too!**

**Musical2day: I love them too! Next Friday is their first meeting from Calypso's POV, hope you like that one too :)**

** I really don't: I'm so glad you enjoyed it, my sense of humour isn't always for everyone :D**

**Dids107: I figure Aphrodite is a fangirl at heart and probably has a TEAM LEO shirt in her closet already. So glad you enjoyed it, next Friday is Calypso's POV from House of Hades so we **_**finally **_**get to see Caleo in action!**

**TiredAndWriting: Typos are my pet peeve, I can't stand them. If you catch any, please tell me and I'll correct the little shits. I'm glad you like this cause I think it's definitely going over three thousand words but I'm curious about what you thought of Calypso's appearance this chapter? Next update she meets Leo for the first time so I hope you like that one too!**

**Totalbooknerd13: YES! \^.^/ How'd you like Calypso? ;)**

**Winonabcd: ALL MONTH? EEKE DJFSJDLHLU! BLURGHL! So glad you're writing Caleo yourself, I'll pop over to your profile and check it out :D Also: THE RULING IS IN LATER CHAPTERS I'M AFRAID D: D: D: But soon. I hope.**

**Brix8: Updating now! BREAAAATHE DEEEEPLYYYY! *gasps***

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: Who you gonna call? HORMONES! (glad you enjoyed it ;)**

**Laureleaf3: Their parents are super lazy right? I mean, they already promised Percy to get her off that damn island, what the heck are they waiting for? Hope you liked chapter six, next week is Leo and Calypso's first meeting!**

**Guest: Damn straight Leo is one of the seven! They wouldn't function without him ;) Hope you enjoy next chapter!**

**27lablover: SERIOUSLY ZEUS, I'M NOT FUCKING AROUND, LET HER OUT ALREADY! (glad you liked chapter six, hope you enjoy the next one too :D)**

**Nerdy Athletic: Will do and I hope you enjoy next Friday!**

**Dragonstorm24: So great that you like it :D Next chapter is Friday, hope you enjoy their first meeting!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N: Ooh, this is a long chapter for all you wonderful readers who have favourited, followed, reviewed or even bothered to read to this point! The timeline is sort of confusing but for now, here's a super basic version:**

**Chapters 1-5: set after the Final Battle, back at Camp Half-Blood.**

**Chapter 6: (kind of a flashback type thing) set before Gaea begins to awaken. 'She stirs.'**

**Chapter 7 and on: Calypso's POV of Leo during HoH.**

**When it changes again, I'll definitely let you guys know. Until then!**

**Shy x)**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The first time Calypso despised a hero on sight, he _had _just wrecked her island, to be fair.

It didn't take a genius to realise the gods had disconnected themselves from the mortal realm. After the hundredth time of cursing Zeus and telling him precisely where he could stick his master lightning bolt, the total lack of angry thunder was an obvious clue.

So, when Leo arrived in a blur of howling wind and flashing bronze, destroying her dining table and most of her beach with a crater the size of a drakon, he had been both an utter surprise and an infuriating wrecking ball.

She hadn't believed her ears when the almighty _boom _rolled out over the island. Such noises just didn't happen on Ogygia. Chattering birds, rushing winds, rolling waves, yes. Bangs that sounded like attacks? Of course not.

When she came to the edge of her garden, Calypso's eyes widened with incredulity as she took in where her dining table (her three thousand year old, beautifully carved dining table complete with pewter goblets engraved with dolphins and enough pristine, painted china for a host of people) used to sit among the dunes. Now, an enormous crater filled with its wreckage took its place.

"Sphere!" she heard someone call. "Come to Papa!"

Her eyes narrowed at the voice because it was unfamiliar but undeniably mortal. She moved with graceful, purposeful steps, trying to calm her anger as she came across the centre of the destruction.

He was cradling some kind of bronze orb in his hands, though it glowed with heat, his back to her, revealing only a slightly charred shirt and a mess of dark unruly hair. A hero, she deduced but not the usual type. He didn't look tall or muscular. On the contrary he was…stringy. And ignoring her. And ruined her furniture. What in all of Greece were the gods _thinking?_

"What are you _doing?_" she snapped, irritation morphing into anger when she took in the extent of the damage. "You blew up my dining table!"

His head snapped toward her, revealing an angular face with wide dark eyes and caramel skin so different from her own. But it didn't matter. Because the more she looked, the more she realised he was also just as short as her and his expression was annoyed. "Oh I'm sorry! I just fell out of the sky. I constructed a helicopter in mid-air, burst into flames halfway down, crash-landed and barely survived. But by all means- let's talk about your dining table!" he snapped, irritably.

Her hands tightened into fists and she had to stop her jaw from dropping. Of all the- that weasel faced- and he said he'd- _oh, someone was in trouble for sending this brat here! _She seethed, internally.

"REALLY?" she shrieked up to the bright sky, furiously. "You want to make my curse even _worse? _Zeus! Hephaestus! Hermes! Have you no shame?" _How dare they do this to her? Shutting off from the mortal realm was one thing, interrupting her solitude with this second rate demigod was just too much!_

"Uh…I doubt they're listening." The boy said, unimpressed. "You know, the whole split-personality thing-"

She ignored him so she didn't feel tempted to rip out his tongue for speaking to her like an imbecile. "Show yourself!" she roared. "It's not bad enough I am exiled? It's not bad enough you take away the few _good _heroes I'm allowed to meet? You think it's funny to send me this-this charbroiled runt of a boy to ruin my tranquillity? This is NOT FUNNY! Take him back!"

"Hey Sunshine, I'm right here, you know." He called to her, indignantly.

The gods were laughing at her. They must be. "Do _not _call me Sunshine! Get out of that hole and come with me _now _so I can get you off my island!" she ordered, stiffly. He looked like he might have wanted to protest but instead, grabbed his ridiculous sphere and began to climb out. Without looking to make sure he was following, she took off down the beach to inspect the rest of the damage.

"This was a pristine beach!" she snarled, mourning the beautiful vista of her home. "Look at it now."

"Yeah my bad," he muttered, nearly rolling his eyes. "I should've crash on one of the other islands. Oh wait- _there aren't any!_"

Calypso prayed the gods would take him back soon, her escalating rage clouding her vision. How dare he speak to her like this? When she stopped walking, she realised he was so busy gawking at the island that he didn't realise he was right behind her until he'd knocked her over. She grabbed his arms to steady herself as they paused by the waves.

"Gah!" she squeaked, unevenly. The irony wasn't lost on her. How many times had she'd said goodbye to her heroes with an embrace on the edge of the surf? And now she clutched this infuriating, insolent little runt at the same place. _Oh let him leave soon, _she bemoaned internally. _Let the Fates save some of my dignity or I'll be the laughing stock of Olympus._

"All right. This spot is good." Just a few feet from the shoreline was where the raft always appeared for her heroes. "Now tell me you want to leave."

"What?" he asked, looking confused and frustrated by her demands.

"Do you want to _leave? _Surely you've got somewhere to go!" she snapped. They always had _somewhere _to go, some quest to achieve, some lives to save, some world to rescue, some woman to return to.

"Uh…yeah. My friends are in trouble." He explained, haltingly. "I need to get back to my ship and-"

"Fine," she cut him off. Calypso had already had just about enough of the gods' latest prank. "Just say, _I want to leave Ogygia."_

"Uh, okay." He said like _she _had gone mad. "I want to leave- whatever you said."

_Whatever she said? WHATEVER SHE SAID? _"Oh-gee-gee-ah." She pronounced, stiffly. Her home, her island, once a place of magic and power and now- it was simply 'whatever she said'.

"I want to leave Oh-gee-gee-ah." He repeated, raised eyebrows as though indulging her.

The words felt bizarrely cleansing, so different to any other hero's announcement. "Good. In a moment, a magical raft will appear. It will take you wherever you want to go."

"Who _are _you?" he exclaimed, his tone exasperated.

_I'm a sorceress. Or I was. Now I'm a dream, a ghost, _she wanted to tell him, her thoughts bitter. _I'm the second-best option to great heroes and the perpetually heartbroken, stupid girl who used to be someone. You're just a joke they're playing on me at my expense._

Instead, she said: "It doesn't matter. You'll be gone soon. You're obviously a mistake." As soon as the words were out, she realised her cool and stiff her voice sounded, how harsh the words actually were. She put it to the back of her mind mercilessly. "Any moment now…"

But the waves simply rolled in, unbroken and eternal as always. "Maybe it got suck in traffic." He suggested, sarcastically but Calypso's attention was too focused on the raft's absence to pay him any attention.

"This is wrong." She muttered, glancing up at the clouds again with a furious glare. "This is completely wrong!" The gods had sent him here and now would not take him back even though he wanted to leave, as was the requirement of her curse. _Are the ancient rules made just for your benefit, you heartless immortal heathens! _She swore internally. _Have you chosen to abandon them too?_

She realised the demigod was speaking again but his words were confusing and useless. "So…plan B? You got a phone or-"

She tossed her hands up with a scream of frustration and stormed back towards her garden, the entrance guarded by lush apple trees. What in Hades were the gods thinking? Cutting themselves off only to reconnect just long enough to leave _him _with her? If she had to be imprisoned here, surely she could do so in peace!

He ruined _her _island, insulted _her _with his rude attitude, blew up _her _dining table, didn't even apologise for it and he was meant to be her new hero?

Calypso wished the gods had stayed disconnected.

He was _nothing _like her previous heroes. He was loud, talkative, snappy, argumentative. He didn't tell her that her eyes sparkled like the Aegean Sea as Odysseus had. He didn't watch her with covert, admiring gaze like Percy had been caught doing. He didn't even follow her demands as a goddess!

He called her _Sunshine _for Hades' sake!

But if the gods were gone now again, there was no way to get rid of him. Avoidance seemed to be her only option. She returned to her garden, forcing her pointed hand-spade into the rich soil. Her garden had always had a way of calming her soul, taking out the pieces of bitterness, loneliness and regret inside her, dusting them off and putting them back a little lighter.

Not now, though. Now, all she could feel was white hot rage at the gods for sending her this hero. He wasn't tall or muscular or heroic. The snarky, insolent runt was as short as she was, skinny to the point of scrawny and downright rude.

"If this is payback from Dionysus," she muttered as she worked, the rage slowly beginning to transform to pain and regret. "I am going to tear out his eyes when I next see him…oh that wretched, drunken _vlakas! _Oh, _chazos koritsi,_" she berated herself. "_Eiste ena athyrma ton theon. Gelane eis varos mou._"

She continued even when she heard him enter the garden with a _Holy Hephaestus _of surprise. She hid a smile at that, pride stealing her wet eyes for a moment. He stood a little distance away from her right. "I think you've punished that dirt enough." He suggested, idly.

Calypso scowled. "Just go away." She ordered, although she imagined it would be difficult to take a weeping goddess seriously.

"You're crying." He stated, his expression flickering into something that appeared nervous and wounded. It didn't surprise her. Modern mortal men seemed to have acquired a phobia of crying females.

"None of your business." She snapped, although the bite was taken from her words. The reality of the situation was beginning to set in and Calypso was bitterly taking in yet again how at the mercy of the gods her life had become. "It's a big island." She offered with a pleading note to her voice. "Just…find your own place. Go that way, maybe." She waved her hand in whatever direction. _Just leave me alone._

But he didn't. Of course he didn't. That would've been the polite thing to do. To honour the lady's wishes. Modern mortal men also seemed to have developed a phobia of chivalry and manners. "So, no magic raft." He deduced. "No other way off the island?"

_Not unless you swim away. _"Apparently not!"

His mouth turned down into a frustrated scowl. "What am I supposed to do, then? Sit in the sand dunes until I die?" he asked, snarkily.

"That would be fine…" she muttered, grimly. She shoved her spade into the earth, nearly skewering a carrot. "Except I suppose he _can't _die here, can he? Zeus! This is not funny!" she shouted again but no one was listening. She would be stuck with a permanent annoyance, her existence a plaything of the gods for the rest of time.

"Hold up." He suddenly cut in, looking utterly shocked by her outburst. "I'm going to need some more information here. You don't want me in your face, that's cool. I don't want to be here either." She forced herself not to flinch at that. It was a good thing he didn't want to be here, she told herself. At least they were in agreement on that. "But I'm not going to go die in a corner. I have to get off this island. There's _got _to be a way. Every problem has a fix."

She felt almost sorry for him, standing there in half burnt clothes with a glint in his eyes like rock-hard determination. But even rocks eventually chip away to nothing. She'd learned that lesson eventually. "You haven't lived very long, if you still believe that." She noted, with a note of bitterness in her laugh.

For the first time, he looked at her, really looked at her, not like an irritation or a mad woman. Like she was a goddess, an immortal. Someone who had seen the world change too many times to count. "You said something about a curse." He changed the subject, though he looked sort of curious now too.

"Yes. I cannot leave Ogygia." She stated, blankly and prepared for the inevitable judgement of her next words. "My father, Atlas, fought against the gods and I supported him."

His eyes looked ready to pop from his skull. "Atlas. As in _Titan _Atlas?"

"Yes, you impossible little…" the words were on the tip of her tongue but even as she rolled her eyes, Calypso tried to tone down her anger. If he was really stuck here, he was a prisoner as she was and spending eternity spiting each other seemed a poor use of their time. "I was imprisoned here, where I could cause the Olympians no trouble. About a year ago, after the Second Titan War, the gods vowed to forgive their enemies and offer amnesty. Supposedly Percy made them promise-"

"Percy?" he echoed, realisation dawning on his face. "Percy Jackson?"

Her eyes shut as though that would protect her from the stinging tear building inside her chest. It didn't work. The tears escaped from her tightly squeezed lids and the bright smile of her sea-demigod hero flashed inside her mind.

"Percy came here." The boy added, comprehension in his expression when she opened her eyes.

"I-I thought I would be released." Calypso said, stiffly as she held back the rippling betrayal of her heart. "I dared to hope…but I am still here."

_You forgot me, Percy, _a small part of her sighed. _It was the only promise you made me and you broke it like all the others. _Calypso mentally shut that thought away.

His next words shocked her out of all sadness and straight back into irritation. "You're that lady!" he exclaimed. "The one who was named after Caribbean music."

"Caribbean music." She echoed, flatly. _I was named by my mother who was one of the great ocean Titans! _She wanted to growl. _I was named Calypso, the Hidden One, destined for sorcery. Not some brand of pathetic mortal music!_

"Yeah." He looked thoughtful. "Reggae? Merengue? Hold on, I'll get it…"

She was a hairs breadth away from gouging out his eyes with her spade when he clicked his fingers together. "Calypso!" he exclaimed, cheerfully though he suddenly looked doubtful. "But Percy said you were awesome. He said you were all sweet and helpful, not, um…"

Seeming to have finally noticed the murder in her gaze, the boy stopped even as she stood, fingers curled to talons. "Yes?" she prompted, hissing.

"Uh, nothing." He said, hastily.

"Would you be _sweet_ if the gods forgot their promise to let you go? Would you be sweet if they _laughed _at you by sending another hero? A hero who looked like- like _you?_" she growled. Forget being _sweet. _Forget being _kind _and _helpful. _Where had that ever gotten her? She should've learned from her parents. Soft hearts are the first casualties of war.

He looked uncertain. "Is that a trick question?"

"_Di Immortales!_" she screeched and stamped off to her cave, cursing his stupidity. Calypso cleaned off the dirt from her arms and neck in front of the magically refilling basin, trying yet again to calm her temper. She hadn't been so angry in years but this demigod seemed to have a way of getting under skin.

"Hey!" he called after her, entering the cave with a stunned look towards her air servants. They appeared to her as faint shimmering outlines but she knew that to mortals, they were simply invisible. "So…I get why you're angry. You probably never want to see another demigod again. I guess that didn't sit right when, uh, Percy left you-"

How could he understand her? How could anyone at this point? "He was only the latest!" she snapped, shaking her head impatiently. "Before him, it was the pirate Drake. And before him Odysseus." _And before him Clyro and before him Theleonius and before him several others. _"They were all the same!"

The same pretty words and handsome looks, the same heroic core, the same irresistible need for help, _her _help. "The gods send me the greatest heroes," she continued. "The ones I cannot help but…"

"You fall in love with them." The demigod guessed. Well at least he remembered her curse, she thought sourly. "And then they leave you."

Unable to help herself, the wash of regret and loneliness began to surface again. "That is my curse. I had hoped to be free of it by now, but here I am, still stuck on Ogygia after three thousand years." _Three thousand, four hundred and seven to be precise, but who was counting, really?_

"Three thousand." He echoed, his voice tight all of a sudden. "Uh, you look good for three thousand."

"And now…the worst insult of all." She said, an uncharacteristic sneer on her face. Only the ruthless survive, Calypso recalled her father saying. "They gods mock me by sending _you_."

The curiosity in his face vanished, replaced by a closed off expression lit with seething anger. "Fine. I'll leave you alone. I'll build something myself and get off this stupid island without your help." He snapped and Calypso felt a tiny seed of sorrow and empathy for him burrowing into her stomach.

"You don't understand do you?" she murmured, softening. "The gods are laughing at both of us. If the raft will not appear, that means they've closed Ogygia. You're stuck here the same as me. You can never leave."

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**A/N: Ta-da! Hope you liked it :D This is the first of Calypso's HoH POV chapters which will go on for a little while yet. And now, REVIEWS!**

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: I. Love. You. Too. Thanks for reading and I really hope you enjoyed Calypso's POV :D**

**The Invisible Pretender: First of all, I'm glad you like Calypso, I really enjoyed shaping more of her character for this story. Second, there's several chapters to go before the grand separation of Caleo so you've got time to prepare tissues and comfort blankets for it (I know I needed them to write the damn thing)! And thirdly, I really hope you liked their first meeting, I just love their dynamic during the novel. Glad you're enjoying it :D**

**StarOfIron: Yay! Another Caleo fan! I'm in love too ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Dragonrider2345: Hope you enjoyed the Caleo feels in this chapter and thanks for the feedback about Calypso's character (it's the one part I get sort of nervous about) Thank you for reviewing!**

**Totalbooknerd13: ME TOO! :D**

**Sonata Appassionata: It makes me so happy when people take the time to review each chapter as they read it! Glad you're enjoying it, and speaking of feels, these two hit me hard in this chapter. I love how they just like picking on each other :D Thanks for reviewing Firsts!**

**Tenneyshoes: Damn straight Calypso (as she constantly reminds me) is not some lovestruck, simple-minded nymph who needs the gods to make her powerful. She **_**is **_**powerful, as she says in this chapter. I loved researching her ancestry and in particular, her mother, and trying to weave that into my fic! Also, I'm sensing a bro-talk between Leo and Jason in my future about Calypso, maybe once they've reunited? I'm already thinking about a Leo POV from when the group meets up in Malta… really glad you like chapter six!**

**Tara Luna Apple: You wonderful, wonderful reader, this does make my day! I'm so happy everyone seems to like Calypso's personality for Firsts, it was the part I really worried over when I was writing her. Hope you like today's chapter too!**

**Ravenwolf24: Me likey too :) I fell in love with the whole i-think-you're-cute-so-therefore-i-must-irritate-t he-crap-out-of-you dynamic in the book and just couldn't resist. Glad you're enjoying it so far!**

**Guest: Awww, thanks! I really hope you liked this chapter, their first meeting is kind of adorable in the books ;)**

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: Poor Hermes is indeed split and this was a flashback to just before Leo turned up on Ogygia, where it continues on in this chapter and several others. The timeline is sort of confusing, I admit. I'll have to post something about it next chapter. Also, a$$ wooping for the gods? Agreed. Thanks for the review!**

**27lablover: HERE IT IS, LOVELY READER! Hope you love it as much as last chapter!**

**Mcshmiggins: I legitimately googled that manga and spent about an hour on their wikia page: oh they're adorable! I like the kind of anti-male sentiment of Misaki which comes from distrust because I really think it reflects in Calypso's backstory too. Also, Leo as cocky and laidback? That is a definite yes. Really hope you enjoy this chapter and I promise there will eventually be fluff!**

**Meganreads: I love replying to reviewers, particularly repeat reviewers because it feels like having a twice-a-week conversation where we fangirl and talk about how awesome Caleo is together :D Also, Calypso's POV of Leo's time on Ogygia will take up the next couple of chapters but I'll try posting a sort of timeline next chapter if I can figure it out to make things less confusing. Glad you're enjoying it so far ;)**

**Miana: I'm taking it **_**to infinity and BEYOND! **_**Totally joking, I just finished watching the Toy Story saga again and it is still stuck on my brain :D Next couple of chapters will be Leo's time on Ogygia in Calypso's POV so I hope you enjoy it!**

**Angel's Apple: Holy Zeus, this was a marathon review. Alright, deep breath. Firstly: AHHH! I KNOW CALYPSO, RIGHT?! I love her even more after I researched her ancestry and backstory for this fic: One does not simply mess with Calypso of Ogygia, sorceress and Titan's child. Unless you're Leo Valdez. Secondly, calculus sucks and I hope this makes it less boring for you :D Thirdly: So. Yes, you have told me. Yes, please continue saying such wonderful things, lovely reader! I'm really glad I'm conveying Calypso realistically with enough character. She's definitely fun to write. Personally, I loved all those books, although I do understand, some books just touch deeper than others. YAY! I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! Fourth: I'm really happy you liked her entrance. I really wanted to explore some of Calypso's backstory before launching Leo at her. I'm going to try to fix up a timeline for Friday's chapter in the beginning author's note but all you really need to know is that chapter six is set before the gods' aspects split, chapters 1 to 5 are set after Gaea is defeated and the next few are set during HoH. I know, it confuses me too. I will improve it, promise! I'm so happy this made you wanna write again, I'll admit, most of my inspiration for Firsts comes from some really fantastic PJO fanart on tumblr. Lastly *blushes* awww, shucks, you're making me all pink! Glad you enjoyed chapter six and really hope you like Calypso's POV of Leo during HoH over the next few chapters :D**

**Shayelee: So far, I love brilliant readers like you. Thanks for reviewing, hope you enjoy chapter seven. Next Friday is **_The first time she admitted that the demigod might not be a total waste of space._

NOTE: '_chazos koritsi,_ _eiste ena athyrma ton theon. Gelane eis varos mou' _is Greek for 'stupid girl, you're a plaything for the gods. They laugh at me.' **I think**

_vlakas _is Greek for _idiot _or _oaf_


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N: Alrighty, timeline time! So, for anyone's a little confuzzled:**

**Chapters 1-5: set after Gaea's defeat***

**Chapter 6: dialogue with Apollo set during the time of Ancient Greece. Dialogue with Hermes set before Gaea begins to wake up in modern times.**

**Chapter 7-14: Calypso's POV during **_**House of Hades**_**/ set during Gaea's sucktastic awakening**

**Chapters 15-17: set after Leo has left Ogygia, during the Quest of the Seven**

**Chapters 18-on: set after Gaea's defeat (*so basically, we're back at the beginning)**

**Hope this helps! This should cover the rest of the story too, I hope. If you have any questions, PM me or review me with them and I'll try to explain tomorrow (more on the different schedule down the bottom) :D**

**Much love,**

**Shy x.)**

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**CHAPTER EIGHT**

The first time she admitted that the demigod might not be a _total_ waste of space, it had been a week since he'd crash-landed on her island and she was beginning to get used to the fact that he would be here to stay.

His name was Leo Valdez, she'd discovered with a small burst of magic. Fifteen years old (a young man by ancient standards). An insufferable son of Hephaestus. Greek. Perhaps not necessarily hideous with his angular features and dark, smooth complexion, but he was hardly her usual type. Scrawny, rude, sarcastic and unimaginably irritating. (They were her own observations.)

He took up camp on the dunes, using the cloth she'd offered from her stores and made campfires to keep warm. She didn't like thinking about what he used as kindling. The first two days he spent exploring the island though even she could have told him there was nothing to be seen. She watched him toss nuts and bolts from his tool belt into the sea spray with growingly sarcastic prayers to the messenger goddess Iris and rolled her eyes. What part of _disconnected from the outside world _did this stupid half-blood not understand?

Leo appeared in her garden a few times but he simply managed to leave her more upset than when he'd entered so he stopped after the third day. Somewhere he found a cache of metal on the island and it was as though he'd been given a Feast of the Gods, the way he carried on about it.

She cursed him finding it. Instead of bothering her with questions about rafts or locations or something called _GPS, _Leo began to frustrate her with his constant tinkering and banging and building. His muttering about gears and wires and things called helicopters and yachts and submarines drove her to exasperation. He went on at length as to how he would go about building any one of these strangely named machines if he had the supplies, but, _woe was he, _he was stuck on a desert island with a grouchy, unhelpful goddess for company and limited supplies and etcetera, etcetera.

His chatter and fidgeting and banging never paused and gods forbid he should let that ridiculous old sphere out of his sight. Most days Calypso could peek out of her garden and see him bobbing around the dunes, his hands picking at the sphere or his tool belt or a piece of copper wiring, usually craned over it so all she could see was the top of his head.

(Calypso didn't care that his mussed dark hair made her want to comb it out for him with her fingers. She wanted to shave it off with her dagger when he started up with that obnoxious banging at dawn the next morning.)

She had to admit however, that he was nothing if not stubborn. He set up camp in the foothills, dragged driftwood and cedar branches from across the island to create his workstation, his face set with resolve. She caught a glimpse of his hands wreathed in crackling flames as he started moulding clay bricks from the mud on the east side of the island. A fire-starter, she deduced, recalling the old stories about Hephaestus' sons and daughters who had been particularly blessed by the iron god. He was favoured by her old friend then.

"No matter," she told herself, angrily on the second day as she tended to the upkeep of her harp. She hated the instrument, had only learned as a favour to her father who liked the sound but it usually consumed her attention. Usually. "It's not as though I care. For gods' sakes, he shouldn't even _be _here."

As soon as she said the words, her stomach flipped and the strings she had been tending to snapped under her strong fingers. After that, Calypso decided to ignore her chores for the time being. On the evening of the second night, she ate her usual dinner in her garden. The pretty marble-topped table was always set for two (she had once decided it was a horrible joke from the gods) and there was enough stew for several people, although Leo never appeared to eat. She wondered if he could smell the food. If he even knew there was food to be had.

"He's going to freeze down on the beach," she murmured, glancing to the distant campfire light which flickered in the strong cold sea breezes. The thought only increased the flipping of her stomach and she went to sleep disturbed and restless.

* * *

She held out for another day, trying to hold her ground. She was sick of going along with the Olympians' latest prank. She wouldn't engage with it. She _wouldn't. _Calypso tried to think like a young, angry, vengeful Titaness but she'd never been good at emulating her parents. Their ruthlessness escaped her, replaced by defeat and resignation. By the end of the third day, she had decided that if he was stuck on Ogygia, he was as much a prisoner as she was. It wasn't his fault the gods had seen fit to spite her. Calypso let go of the fury that had been eating her alive and decided that if Leo was a fellow prisoner, irritating though he may be, he deserved similar treatment.

Also, she was slightly embarrassed that she had called him a mistake to his face.

She sent the air spirits to work, cooking up beef stew and pouring her homemade lemonade into neat meals for him to leave at the edge of her garden. Seeing how burnt and torn his old clothes were, Calypso wove for the first time in several years, the strands bending to her will as she created trousers and shirts.

(She tried not to analyse the fact that she didn't have to think over what size or style to make; she knew in her head exactly how it would sit on him when it was finished. Leo Valdez had obviously been her head too often since he'd arrived.)

The longer she avoided him, the more shame she began to feel.

She'd only ever helped the heroes who appeared on her shores. She gave them rest, recovery, supplies and care. Things a decent person would do for another though she was the first to admit, her motives were often tangled with the immediate affection for the brave heroes who came to her. But not Leo. And why? What was her reason for disliking Leo? Because he'd broken her dining table? Because that elfish face, mischievous smile and quick wit didn't match the other handsome, strong heroes who'd appeared for her? Because he irritated her? Calypso was several millennia old. She should be able to handle a few stupid retorts.

He was just as worthy, Calypso began to realise the longer he stayed, shamefully. Possibly more worthy. Those heroes had waited for an opportunity to present itself to leave. Leo Valdez was _making _himself an opportunity (granted, she didn't know how successful he might be). He was making bricks and benches and a forge out of materials found on a phantom island.

Even Calypso admitted to being a tiny bit impressed with the sarcastic, insolent little demigod brat.

The guilt made her do not-so-sane things like throw pots at his head when he came to thank her for the food and sneakily spy on him to make sure she wasn't around when he came to collect his food. She wasn't quite ready to admit to being wrong.

After a five days of successfully evading the insufferable son of Hephaestus, Calypso began to notice that the meals were piling up and the goblets sat undrunk by her garden. At first she felt irritated that he was ignoring her gifts but then realised that since that _gods forsaken banging _and smoke had started up from his camp, Leo hadn't stopped to eat.

Her attempts to silence her worry failed miserably and so she collected one of her woven baskets and filled it with a warm loaf of fluffy bread and little bunches of grapes (she may or may not have noticed Leo ate those first when he collected his dinner each night) before making her way down to the beach.

Even had she not known Ogygia like the back of her hand, the sound of metal on metal disrupting the peace of the island was unmistakable. The sounds made her head ache and turned her mood foul. "Smoke and fire, clanging on metal all day long." She snapped as she reached the camp with a scowl. "You're scaring away the birds!"

"Oh no, not the birds!" he muttered under his breath but he didn't even turn to so much as _glance _at her. He seemed so…unaffected by her. _Bored _even.

It was maddening.

"What do you hope to accomplish?" she asked, testily.

Finally he glanced up at her. Calypso was only slightly disappointed that he didn't study her with admiration in his gaze. She told herself to stop being ridiculous. Hadn't she grown sick of the empty praises with little action to back them up?

It was different with Leo Valdez. She didn't know how but it was.

"I'm _hoping _to get off this island." He replied, equally impatient. "That _is _what you want, right?"

Out of habit, her eyes flitted to the shoreline where a raft would have normally appeared at his wish to leave but no such vessel appeared. Instead she set the basket of food down by his rolled of bed with a deep frown. It wasn't right that she slept on a comfortable fluffy mattress and her fellow prisoner (for now) slept on the sand with just a few blankets she'd silently added after the third evening. Brushing away the concern, she stood, calling upon her previous objective. "You haven't eaten in two days." She pointed out primly. "Take a break and _eat._"

He looked skinnier than when he arrived and it bothered her.

"Two days?" he echoed, bewildered. Some part of her felt slightly eased when she realised he hadn't been ignoring his stomach on purpose. The feeling irritated her. What did she care if the stubborn demigod ate? "Thanks. I'll, uh, try to hammer more quietly." He drew her attention back to him and Calypso studied the bronze in his grip that seemed to be slowly taking its on master's intended shape.

With a small huff, she forced herself around and back up to her cave, trying not to focus on how confusingly attractive the smudges of soot brushed across Leo's face were. He was certainly not like her usual heroes.

But perhaps, she admitted to herself as she entered her cave with a lonely sensation. Perhaps he was not all bad.

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**(A/N: This is a bit of a short one and so is the next one, so I figured, what the hell, I'll update them closer together because a) they're ready and b) all you lovely readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters! Now, on to reviews!:**

**The Invisible Pretender: Don't listen to logic, it's boring. Instead, just think of how wonderful it'll be when they finally get back together! (I know it's a little while off still but fingers crossed you like it :D) Glad you enjoyed last chapter, how do you like Calypso's thoughts on Leo so far? ;)**

**Tenneyshoes: Hello again! Leo's POV in Malta was tragic to write, I just kept thinking about that description in HoH of how his energy was just gone :( BUT! Morse code tapping must be explained and I think Calypso will get a kick out of it. Hope you enjoyed chapter eight!**

**PJO-Blue-Cookies (haha! Blue food kicks ass): Thank you so much for reviewing, I'm really happy you've enjoyed it so far. Updates are Mondays and Fridays, although some chapters are a lot longer than others. The sizes are a little uneven, I'll admit but here's hoping they get longer :D Thanks for reading!**

**Totalbooknerd13: Isn't she adorable? I just love their dynamic, the whole picking on each other because they like each other. It's like they've gone back to being 6 six year olds. If immortal goddess **_**can **_**go back to being six years old…thanks for reviewing!**

**Randomosity4arty: Me too, it bugged me all the way through HoH. I couldn't resist writing out the scenes on my own ;) Hope you liked this chapter too!**

**Dragonrider2345: ALL THE CALEO FEELS :D! I don't speak Greek fluently but I speak Italian, French, English (obviously) and I know some **_**super **_**basic Greek phrases. The good news is that I can arrange the sentences the way I think they should sound according to how they would be translated in French or Italian (the language structures between all three are similar, I think) and I'm usually pretty accurate. Bad news? There is also a reasonable chance I'm saying '_I'd like to buy your mother_' when I want to say '_Oh Leo, you're such an idiot_'. *shrugs* It is a fine line. Also, very glad I could make your day, you should know I get huge grins whenever my phone chirps out email notifications too. Hope you liked chapter eight, it's a bit small I know ;)**

**PJoHoOFan: HOLY ZEUS, THANK YOU! My sister legitimately just poked her head in my room to make sure I wasn't 'doing that weird thing where you freak out over your email notifications and twitch in your chair with that lunatic grin on your face'. (I was of course, but I made sure to look normal for a few minutes to prove her wrong) So, point is, we can fangirl together! Welcome aboard the SS Caleo, where we impatiently wait for Rick Riordan to get his act together and write a happy ending for these two! Thanks for reviewing, hope you liked this chapter too!**

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: HA! Even as I was writing this chapter, I kept rolling my eyes and thinking: **_**Guys, stop picking at each other and make out already! **_**But I really do love their dynamic :D *VIOLENTLY SENDING OUT MENTAL HUGS FOR REVIEWING* Thanks for reading, it's not quite a punch in the face but I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: Hello. Again. Glad. You. Enjoyed. Last. Chapter. Hope. This. One. Was. Good. Too. Hee. Hee. Thanks. For. Reviewing! It. Means. The. World. To. Me. :D.**

**Callmemisstayla: Oh my gods, don't even get me started on how badly I will react if the gods don't grant these two a happy ending in Blood Of Olympus! I'm so happy you liked the last few chapters, I hope the timeline of them wasn't too confusing? I got a couple of reviewers who were a bit befuddled. Also, Calypso/Percy/Annabeth reaction chapter? Oooh…I have great plans for you ;) Thanks for the review!**

**Carrot-Bunny: Regrettably, I do not know Greek fluently, just a couple of teeny tiny phrases I picked up on a holiday (although thanks for the compliment!). However, I know French and Italian and the language structure between the three is similar, I think. I'm arranging the sentences the way I would in French/Italian and adding in nouns and phrases from Greek I gathered from which is my go-to for foreign phrases, I'll admit. Usually, I'm reasonably accurate. Sometimes I suck. 'Leo, you're awesome' turns into 'Leo, you might be a turtle-fish'. But it seems to be doing okay here :D Also, shame on you! I spent three hours last night writing the first couple of pages of a Pirates/PJO fic starring Caleo and woke up at noon! (seriously, kidding) You can't just give me these ideas, wonderful reader! They torment me! **_**Torment **_**me, I say! Anyway, glad you enjoyed it, I hope you liked this (unfortunately short) chapter too!**

**Laslus: Awww, don't worry, I'm just glad you chose to review this chapter! I'm so glad you're enjoying Calypso's POV, her characterisation was the one part I worried about when writing these chapters :D Hope you liked chapter eight, it's the runt of the litter so I'm supplementing with chapter nine a little early ;)**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and the characters so far. I'm moving at a bit of a slower pace than I usually am but I hope it contributes to the build up you were talking about :D It also means chapter sizes are a little uneven, sorry. This chapter's a bit small but I finished the next one early so I'll post chapter nine tomorrow! Hope you like it :)**

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**Gods above, I've written some super long replies this Monday, haven't I? Anyway! **

**Sorry this chapter is a little shorter but I managed to finish chapter nine immediately after and it's going through editing now so **_**I'll post it on Tuesday**_** and then back to normal scheduling next Friday, promise!**

**HOPE YOU LIKED IT, YOU BRILLIANT READERS, YOU!**

**Shy x.**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N: Are you pleased, wonderful readers? Because these two chapters are so pathetically short by themselves, I finished them reasonably quickly and figured I could post them closer together! So, one day later due to editing, here is chapter nine!**

**Love, Shy x. **

**PS. For all my fellow Australians, I'm so sorry this was updated at eleven at night. I'm a twit who needs to get a watch. But I love you all!)**

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**CHAPTER NINE**

The first time Calypso noticed the fountain had stopped leaking, she was in her garden, thinking over the clothes she'd made for her houseguest. Calypso hadn't woven for a while but she was pleased with the way they fit him perfectly. Her mind then of course moved on, as was only natural, to Leo himself. Without the filter of rage she'd initially been blinded by, the demigod did not appear like the insufferable man-child she'd first seen him as. Calypso found herself thinking of him as wiry instead of scrawny, incredibly capable instead of weak.

_Not to be misunderstood_, Calypso hurried to tell herself. "He is still obnoxious, loud, inconceivably rude-" she muttered as she began pruning the dead leaves from her favourite raspberry bush.

Suddenly, she paused, her senses feeling as though she were missing something. It took a moment before she realised the _tick tick tick _sound of her bronze satyr fountain had ceased, replaced by the smooth trickle of water flowing as it should.

"What in all of Hades…?" she murmured, standing and brushing the dirt from her hands absentmindedly. The crimson of her gown magically repelled against the soil stains. The satyr looked good as new, as though it had never been broken and for a moment she suspected her air spirits of aiding her. But then why had they not fixed it eight years earlier when the problem began?

Her sharp dark eyes flitted around the garden, suddenly landing on the curtain rod above the entry to her cave. A rod, she had been certain, was quite uneven though it seemed miraculously level now. Her gaze drifted back to her garden shears which glimmered in the bright noon sunlight, far sharper than Calypso recalled them every being.

"Leo." She muttered, realising just how deeply mechanics ran in his blood. A fine son of Hephaestus; the iron god should be proud.

She felt the guilt swelter to epic proportions and finally sighed, studying the camp at a distance where the smoke still billowed but the hammering was, as promise slightly quieter. He'd fixed her home for her, even when she'd said such horrible, unkind things. Things she found she didn't even truly believe now that she had spent even a few minutes with Leo Valdez.

He was so utterly bewildering. He crash-landed on herisland and broke her possessions but upon catching her crying in her garden, he'd looked…wounded. He banged on that ridiculous handmade anvil for hours at a time like it was his gods given purpose in life but has also taken the time to fix her home.

Calypso ran a finger down the satyr's pointed horns thoughtfully and waved her hand over the fountain, causing the flow of water to stop and the basin to turn clear and still as glass.

"Show me Leo Valdez." She commanded and the reflection shimmered before revealing a curly haired toddler with an enormous grin racing through what appeared to be a forge of some kind, though the machines and projects seemed very different to what Calypso once knew. The picture changed to the same small child a little older, perhaps five, with enchantingly sneaky eyes as he removed the back of a small device and played with the internal wires with his chubby fists. Hermes had one- a cell phone, she believe it was called.

The picture changed again to the same boy, but this time his shoulders were hunched and he looked down at his hands with a stormy expression. His eyes were blank and darker than oil and he wore formal robes of some kind, with a black jacket and a tied length of black fabric around his neck. A modern suit like the gods occasionally visited in. He looked only a child but the anger in his face was far too old for him.

Suddenly the reflection revealed a Leo closer to the one who had landed on her island, his features older, on the cusp of teenagedom but his lip was split and bloody. Calypso felt a spark of anger began to blossom in her chest at the idea of someone hitting the young boy but he didn't seem upset by it. His mouth was pulled into a wide grin, his shoulders relaxed. But his eyes were guarded and still troubled.

Next Leo, a little different to the boy she knew now, was sitting on a bus, snickering and laughing with a pair of unseen figures behind him, rolling his eyes every now and then. He looked happier but slightly withdrawn, not the same joy as the tiny beautiful boy she'd seen before.

The next few images began to speed up, rotating rapidly. There was Leo hanging on to the edge of a cliff, Leo on the ground with his hair covered in golden monster ashes, Leo and several shadowy figures in the back of an Ancient Greek chariot pulled by pegasi.

Calypso waved her hand again and the images paused, showing him with a blazing hammer over his head. She studied the way he looked, tired, somewhat anxious but still wilful like she knew him to be now. His clothes were very different to the cotton trousers and shirts she had been making. He wore pants of some kind of rough blue fabric and a white t-shirt coupled with a dark green camouflage print jacket but he seemed to be comfortable in them.

Calypso thought to the times she had rewoven Leo's clothes for the sole reason that he had burned holes the size of melons in his last set and turned to her loom, speculatively. She wasn't about to apologise to the stupid demigod. But a peace offering was in order if they were to coexist on this island and he'd already made his.

Her fountain, the curtains, her gardening sheers- it was her turn to reciprocate the gesture. Calypso had learned some small amount of strategy from her militaristic father and it served her well now. _Inequality on the two enemy camps leads to war_, Atlas had told her when she was only a child-goddess, tiny and wild haired with enormous dark eyes. Which meant that equality must lead to peace, Calypso decided. She sat at her loom and began to manoeuvre the wooden beams, concentrating on the image she'd seen in the fountain, a replica of the younger Leo's garments appearing at her fingertips. Yes, she scrutinised, her peace offering would turn out quite well. Now she just had to hope he'd accept it.

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**(A/N: See? Tiny chapter. This doesn't usually happen (me finishing two chapters so closely together) so next Friday is back to normal update schedule I'm afraid. Now reviews!:**

**Skyshattered: Aww, you sent reviews for several chapters? You made me smile when I read my notifications, just so you know. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far (also, I couldn't resist the mental image of the Olympians in their pyjamas. I don't even know if they sleep to be honest) and thanks so much for reading, hope you like chapter nine!**

**The Invisible Pretender: Hello! I'm sorry I'm killing you in a good way (don't believe me, I'm lying through me teeth :D). Aren't you glad these two were updates together, even if they are kind small? Hope you like chapter nine, more about Calypso's perception of Leo and how it may or may not be…changing ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Guest: Every day until Blood of Olympus will be spent imagining enough happy endings for Caleo so even if it does fail (RIORDAN, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!), I'll have a nice comfy pile of fluff to dry my endless tears. Joking. I think. Anyway, don't check every morning, updates are on Mondays and Fridays, I don't want to make you wait unnecessarily! Really glad you're enjoying it, how are you liking Calypso's opinion of Leo? Thanks for reviewing!**

**Tenneyshoes: Don't be too scared, I'm all about the HEAs :D Really glad you're enjoying Calypso's POV, I really like developing her opinions a little more, cause when you think about it, she's not just a love interest, she's the daughter of two incredibly powerful Titans and had her own life going before Ogygia. Leo's just there to make it complicated hee hee hee ;) Loving your suggestions so far (there is definitely going to be some kind of morse-code-explanation in some distant chapter ;) ) Thank you for reviewing, hope you like chapter nine (even if it's a wee bit small)!**

**Kiki-DaughterofApollo14: Viva La Caleo! I love a lot of Caleo fanfics, they're just such an adorable couple. Do you speak Spanish, like Leo? If so, should you read **_**anything **_**that sounds out of character for Leo, feel free to PM or review me with comments! I rely heavily on a few translating sites and my own background in French and Italian to translate some of Leo's dialogue so it might be a little wonky. (Sorry about that. I should really learn not to write in languages I don't speak.) Anyway, I'm really happy you're enjoying the story so far, I hope you like Calypso's POV! Do you like her so far? She's one of my favourite characters in the series, I think. Thanks for reading and enjoy chapter nine!**

**Fluff-is-awesome (Fluff **_**is **_**awesome): YAY, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING WITH ALL THOSE AWESOME WORDS LIKE PERFECT AND LOVE :D Also, as far as I can tell, Leo's treatment of her as an actual person with things to contribute is one of the defining parts of their relationship. I mean, even Percy just kind of thought of her as a goddess who helped heal him and then sent him on his way. Leo's first thought is that she looks stuck-up and it sets her apart from the other girls he goes crazy for. Way to confuse the girl, Valdez! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far! I hope you like this chapter, it's kind of Calypso's shift in perspective about Leo. Thank you so much for reading :D!**

**Forever sibuna: I love them too, they're just so cute with their 'I-like-you-so-I'm-going-to-pick-on-you-relentless ly-like-I'm-a-ten-year-old' kind of relationship. Hope you like chapter nine and thank you so much for reading Firsts!**

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: Hello again! Glad you're enjoying it so far, sorry about the teeny tiny chapter size this round. They get bigger further along (I hope. Maybe. Perhaps.) Hope you enjoyed chapter nine, it's a shift of perspective for Calypso ;) Thank you for reading, you made my day again!**

**Randomosity4arty: You are awesome ;) thanks for reading!**

**PJoHoOFan: WRITING FRANTICALLY! Seriously, I'm happy you're enjoying it so far. Fangirl with me, things are just starting to get interesting ;) Hope you like chapter nine!**

**Totalbooknerd13: I know right? Same as in HoH with the line: 'Leo disliked her instantly'. All I could think was **_**liiiiiarrrrrr…**_**hope you liked chapter nine!**

**Dids107: I did too! One of my favourite lines in the whole book was 'oh no, not the birds!'. Sorry about the teeny tiny chapter size this round but I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading and reviewing :D**

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: I'm perfecting my fluff skills, I promise but these two have a while to go before they're ready for the fluff. They're fluff novices. They're on, like, cotton buds covering broken glass, at the moment. Not fluffy and just barely managing not to kill each other. Wow, that was sort of abstract and cryptic. Anyway. Hope you liked chapter nine!**

**Hannahthemelon: Hello again Melon! I too will become a blubbering mess if Blood of Olympus does not end well with these two. Riordan had better get his act together. That's so cool you took up Latin! I have a friend who's finishing the Harry Potter series in Latin and I'm really jealous because it looks like she's reading some kind of old magical text when she shows me (because on the inside, I'm a petty four year old child *rolls eyes at self*). Also, French and Italian are so ridiculously similar in terms of structure to Latin, it hurts. Subject + indirect object + direct object + verb etc etc. Honestly, I'm kind of winging it but it's…kind of working out…kind of. Hope you're enjoying Calypso's POV and thanks for reading!**

**Carrot-Bunny: It did occur to me that Leo is kind of a firebender but that's a whole other story. The little piece I wrote is set in a kind of Pirates-verse but Calypso is just a shipwrecked noblewoman with sea magic in her blood. Leo is under Captain Chase's ship **_**Argo **_**alongside the Seven and ends up getting his ass kicked off via cannonfire during a run in with Captain Khione and his ship, **_**Ice Maiden **_**and he washes up on Ogygia.****It's purely for my own entertainment but if I get around to finishing it, I'll post it on here somewhere ;) Also, I'm glad size isn't an issue (*snickers*) but seriously, the chapters do get longer eventually. I hope. Fingers crossed. Hope you're enjoying it so far and that you liked chapter nine! Next update is Friday!**

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**All done! Next update is on Friday but in the meantime, if you have any suggestions for future chapters, **_**please, please, please, **_**feel free to PM or review them to me, I really like hearing your feedback! Hope you liked chapter nine and because you guys reviewed chapter eight knowing chapter nine was coming the next day, here's the title for chapter ten: **

_The first time she realised Leo might have his own great love waiting for him back home was also the day she first made him laugh._

**Much love,**

**Shy xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N: LOOK AN UPDATE THAT'S NOT AT NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT? MY GODS, IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?! (Ihaveadoctorsappointmentsothisisgoingupearliertha nusual)**

**Anyway, we've got about five chapters (approximately) until the end of HoH in Calypso's point of view. Originally, I wasn't even going to include but it's **_**kind o**_**f a big deal for them, right? I don't really cover the last fight against Gaea mainly because:**

**a) I don't think I could possibly do it justice and **

**b) it calls for some kind of sacrifice and I would much prefer to gloss right over any potential character deaths, straight back to the Caleo feels. **

**Sorry guys but it is fanfiction. Happily Ever Afters (or thereabouts) will reign supreme in this particular fic.**

**That being said, THANK YOU TO THE BRILLIANT PEOPLE WHO READ, FAVOURITE, FOLLOW OR REVIEW THIS STORY you guys make my day for like a week before I update :D Thanks for all the feedback, I'm really enjoying talking with you guys at the end of each chapter!**

**Much love,**

**Shy x.)**

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**CHAPTER TEN**

The first time she realised Leo might have his own great love waiting for him back home was also the day she first made him laugh. It was also the first time she admitted to herself that Leo Valdez was a danger to her carefully crafted defences.

She patted down her hair (for reasons she didn't care to acknowledge) and made her way down the beach, toward Leo's camp. He wasn't banging away on his anvil miraculously, instead poised at the driftwood workbench with a handful of bronze and copper wires.

He didn't seem to notice her until she was already inside the camp, his new clothes draped over her arm. "I brought you-" she began gently, but from his reaction, she may as well have thrown Zeus' master bolt at him.

He leapt from his seat with a startled glance, the wires in his gripping falling to the bench. "Bronze bulls, girl! Don't sneak up on me like that!" he said. Calypso wondered if he realised how alike he was to his father at times.

"I wasn't sneaking," Calypso replied, indignantly. "I was bringing you these." She showed him the clothes and his expression lit up with recognition and confusion.

"How?" He seemed stupefied by the garments and for a moment, she worried she got them wrong. Perhaps in the modern world, remaking clothes was considered offensive?

"I do have a little magic, you know." She explained, dropping the garments in a neat pile at his feet like a food offering for a wild bear. She stepped away, picking at her bright red dress as she did. "You keep burning through the clothes I give you, so I thought I would weave something less flammable."

"These won't burn?" he felt the coarse rough 'denim' she had spent time perfecting.

"They are completely fireproof." She assured, pleased that he seemed to like them. "They'll stay clean and expand to fit you, should you ever become less scrawny." She added, in case he was getting any ideas.

"Thanks." He _sounded _pleased by them at least. "So…you made an exact replica of my favourite outfit. Did you, like, google me or something?"

The phrase perplexed her. "I don't know that word."

"You looked me up," he clarified though that was still an odd way of putting it. "Almost like you had some interest in me."

Calypso felt her nose wrinkle at the idea. Her? Having interest in such an infuriating demigod? Hardly. "I have an interest in not making you a new set of clothes every other day. I have an interest in you not smelling so bad and walking around my island in smouldering rags." She covered, neatly.

"Oh yeah." That grin made her heart skip a beat with how similar it looked to the beautiful little boy she'd seen in her fountain. "You're really warming up to me."

Unable to help herself, Calypso flushed. "You are the most insufferable person I have ever met!" she snapped. "I was only returning the favour. You fixed my fountain." She added, accusingly.

"That?" he snickered as though he had forgotten it already. "That was no big deal. I don't like it when things don't work right." Calypso felt a slight twinge in her stomach that he had fixed her home so absentmindedly but continued on, nevertheless.

"And the curtains across the cave entrance?"

"The rod wasn't level." He shrugged, picking up the fallen wires and twirling them between his fingers.

"And my gardening tools?"

"Look I just sharpened the shears. Cutting vines with a dull blade is dangerous. And the pruners need to be oiled at the hinges-" he rambled on, passionately and it warmed her heart. Not much. Just a little bit.

"Oh yeah," she retorted in a low voice. "You're really warming up to me."

He paused as though struck stupid and she let her mouth twitch into a smile at his lack of retort. "What are you building?" she asked, gesturing to the workbench.

"Oh," he exclaimed as though he'd forgotten his single-minded purpose from the past few days. "Uh, it's a seeing device. We found one like this in Rome, in the workshop of Archimedes. If I can make it work, maybe I can find out what's going on with my friends."

"That's impossible," Calypso shook her head, sympathetic but certain. "This island is hidden, cut off from the world by strong magic. Time doesn't even flow the same here."

"Well, you've got to have some kind of outside contact." Leo pointed out with a raised brow. "How did you find out that I used to wear an army jacket?"

Her magic was something she kept close to her chest, knowing that if the gods discovered it they might see her as more threatening, might want to take the last remaining shreds of it away from her. She had not even mentioned it to Percy. "Seeing the past is simple magic," she explained, hesitantly as she twisted a lock of hair around her finger. "Seeing the present or the future- that is not."

"Yeah, well, watch and learn Sunshine." He muttered, turning back to his machine before she could comment on her dislike of that ridiculous nickname. "I just connect these last two wires and-"

A bright spark rippled across the plate and a thick plume of smoke spewed from the bronze sphere he was so attached to. The spark caught on Leo's sleeve and suddenly it burst into flames, which consumed the shirt greedily until he yanked it off and stomped out the fire.

She supressed the laughter but it bubbled over into her eyes and smile as Leo turned to her with a sharp look. "Not a word."

The action drew her attention to his bare, thin chest though the raised white scars and rising muscles of his arms and shoulders set her cheeks aflame. _Oh but I have so many words for you, Leo… _a small voice at the back of her head purred. Sheer surprise shut the voice up immediately, locking it to the very back of her head.

"Nothing worth commenting on," she covered, turning to the problem at hand. "If you want that device to work, perhaps you should try a musical invocation." She suggested, recalling how her mother had once used nothing but her voice to create a mighty storm.

"Right," he muttered, sardonically. "Whenever my engine malfunctions, I like to tap-dance around it. Works every time."

Ignoring his snark, Calypso tried to find the right words that might help the machinery and began to sing, the words in an Ancient Greek spell dialect that encouraged harmony and growth, a spell she usually wove for her garden.

When she paused, she realised Leo's eyes were locked on her, a sort of stunned expression over his face that reminded her of her past heroes when they told her she was beautiful and perfect and heavenly. It buoyed her confidence slightly that the demigod didn't think she was completely repulsive at least but somehow the earned admiration meant more coming from Leo than it ever had from Odysseus or Drake. She tried to clear her mind of the heady sensation.

"Any luck?" she prodded and Leo snapped out of it, returning focus to the mirror.

"Uh…nothing. Wait…!" the reflection glowed brightly and suddenly an image appeared above it, projected into mid air like magic.

There was no sound and Calypso did not recognise any of the scenes or people that flitted past but Leo obviously did. His whole face was rapt as the pictures changed much like her fountain looking glass between ferocious looking Greek warriors, a centaur dressed in armour, a group of strong demigods handing out weapons, pegasi circling in the distance.

"Your friends?" she asked, both curious and suddenly confused. What in Hades could provoke such a response from the typically calm, steady Greeks?

"They're preparing for war." Leo nodded, looking a little paler than normal.

"Against whom?"

"Look," Leo muttered as the picture flickered into another legion of demigods though Calypso felt her eyebrow raise decisively at them. _Romans, _she noted, disapprovingly. "I've seen that sign before. That's not far from Camp Half-Blood." He gestured to a brightly lit sign in the distance.

In a split second, the Roman half-bloods split apart, shields falling and weapons swinging out at the air aimlessly. Against the night sky, Calypso watched as a pair of small, thick-bodied creatures darted around the group, impossibly fast and twice as destructive.

"Those beautiful little troublemakers!" Leo whooped. "They kept their promise!"

"Cousins of yours?" Calypso asked, dryly considering the utter destruction they wrought on the army. It wouldn't have surprised her.

"Ha, ha, ha, _no_. Couple of dwarves I met in Bologna." Leo corrected, snarkily. "I sent them to slow down the Romans and they're doing it."

"But for how long?" she muttered in response, watching as the scene rotated and disappeared to reveal a thin blonde boy with an ugly glint in his eyes uncovering a long pole topped by a glistening golden eagle.

"Oh that's not good." Leo noted, apprehensively.

Calypso had never seen such items before personally but she knew of them through Mercury and the other gods during the time of Ancient Rome. "A Roman standard."

"Yeah. And this one shoots lightning, according to Percy." Leo muttered. The mention of her previous hero made her heart thump unevenly and she struggled to keep the emotions from invading her appearance. Taking a deep breath, she looked back to Leo and caught the edge of his expression. He almost looked…upset.

_At Percy? _A small voice whispered. _Anger…for me?_

_For his friends, _she deduced before her heart could make any other assumptions. _For the oncoming attack._

_But perhaps a little for me? _the small voice added.

_Hush. _She told herself sternly.

When she looked to the mechanic looking glass, she felt her stomach drop. A single Pegasus rider (also Roman, Calypso noted, flatly) flew through a wild storm, her face set in concentration as her dark hair exploded out behind her, nearly blending with the deep purple of her cloak. She was dressed in well-loved armour and looked as though she was under attack.

A huge gryphon burst out from above, attacking the Pegasus but the Roman girl dispatched it in a single neat swing of her sword. Mere moments passed and _venti _appeared as twirling cyclones crackling with bright veins of lightning though the girl looked unafraid as she charged ahead-

The image died in a single flash.

"No!" Leo shouted, clutching the mirror in his hands. "No, not now. Show me what happens!" he banged it on the table and Calypso felt the absurd seeds of hope that had snuck through her guard begin to crumble.

Recalling the Roman girl, her sharp angular face and fearless, flashing eyes, Calypso narrowed her eyes at the demigod before her. She had been so sure that one such as Leo Valdez would never breach her defences that she had neglected to realise that he had already started to burrow through them without meaning to. _You are a fool Calypso. _"I suppose that is your girlfriend?" she accused, shaking slightly. "Your Penelope? Your Elizabeth? Your Annabeth?"

_A complete and utter fool._

"What?" Leo's face was bewildered and impatient. "That's Reyna-!"

_Ah. _The name carved out a section of her spirit, a place where it joined the other absent women Calypso had always competed with and _always_ lost to: Annabeth. Elizabeth. Penelope. Nylla. Selphina. _Reyna the Roman. _

"She's not my girlfriend!" Leo was saying. The words made her stomach twist. _Not his girlfriend? _She wondered, doubtfully. _Although it doesn't matter. It's not as though it should matter. Leo Valdez is an insufferable plague upon my home._

"I need to see more!" Leo huffed. "I need-"

_NEED? _Calypso heard the Earth Mother's voice grumble from the ground beneath them and felt her presence before the dirt encrusted human figure appeared, erupting from Ogygia's sandy beach. _NEED is an overused word._

* * *

**(A/N: GAEA WHO THE HELL INVITED YOU- oh right. The Almighty Riordan. Alright, I'll let it slide. Oh and Calypso, sweetie, break into _I Won't Say I'm In Love _from Hercules already! **

**Nylla and Selphina are the respective imaginary partners or two heroes who came before Odysseus, in my mind. Guys, she'd been stuck there for a while before Odysseus showed up. I refuse to believe he was the first so I made…filler heroes, I suppose you could say. ANYWAY!**

**Thank you for reading guys, I hope you enjoyed chapter ten, much love to you marvellous readers for spending time in this little corner of cyberspace ;) ! Next update is Monday!**

**Review time!**

**MEleeSmasher: I'll admit, I feel that way writing it occasion. But the way I get through it all is knowing there is **_**a lot **_**of chapters from Post-Gaea still to come. If you really are sick of Calypso's POV, I'd probably suggest waiting until chapter fifteen/sixteen or thereabouts. That's when I start writing outside of HoH. Until then, I'll try putting a few scenes from the time period on Ogygia that weren't written in the book and see how they are? I'd you're your feedback on them! Thank you for reading!**

**The Invisible Pretender: IT'S FRIDAY! BE HAPPYYY! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far although I'm getting a little sick of internal Calypso angst. The banter/Caleo flirting/insulting each other must go on! Hope you enjoyed this chapter friend!**

**Fearless Noodle: You. Are. Perfect. I'm so glad you're enjoying Calypso's character- I subconsciously tend to do that with a lot of my fanfics, like, take a secondary character or someone you only read about a few times and bring them into being central to my fic's plot. I like giving them stories :D Also, Leo in Olympus is based off my baby cousin (alright, he's fifteen but he's still a baby to me) who is incredibly intelligent but seriously, the kid could be distracted by his own breath. He really would make an appointment to see someone super important and never make it inside the door because he was too busy looking at something on the way in. So, definitely agree: WHEN IN OLYMPUS, PAY ATTENTION TO THE GODS DECIDING YOUR FATE! I'm so happy it's fun to read. I always feel like 'kids book' or not, Riordan's novels **_**are **_**fun to read so I'm trying to incorporate that a lot. Geez, this is a long response. Alright, last points in one big sentence: I'm a big softy so HEAs will reign supreme in this world, updates are Mondays and Fridays and lastly but not least, THANKS FOR READING, YOU MADE MY DAY ;) !**

**Kiki-DaughterofApollo14: That's great! I'm trying **_**not **_**to write in languages I don't speak fluently but when I get stuck, it's great to have someone to ask :D Also, NAWWWW YOU'RE MAKING ME BLUSH STAHP IT ^^ But seriously, it's great that you're enjoying Calypso's point of view and I'm glad I could do it justice. Thanks for reading and reviewing, here's hoping you enjoyed chapter ten!**

**House3-Of3-Hades3: Hhhhhhereeeee it isssssss! Hoooope yoooou liiiikeeee ittttt!**

**Totalbooknerd13: Agreed. Absolutely. "Hate" away, guys, I'll just sit back smugly and watch the show.**

**TheNatattack: YAY! I'm SO happy you're liking it so far! I'm trying to keep to Riordan's style as much as possible because I think it's just plain fun to read. But seriously, the naked Apollo scene was just too good to pass up. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, they get longer soon I think. I hope. Thank you so much for reviewing even without an account!**

**PJoHoOFan: Hello again! The story is **_**incredible **_**Caleo-centric, I'll admit ;) Also, take it as a good thing! ALL ABOARD THE SS CALEO, enjoy the complimentary feels from the snack bar! Hope you liked chapter ten, thank you so much for reading, it really does make my day :D**

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: Reviews like that one make my day when my phone notifications chirp :D Hope you liked chapter ten! Next update is Calypso's POV of Gaea's offer. Thanks for reading!**

**Randomosity4arty: Well, I wouldn't (**_**caleocaleocaleo) **_**want to influence you (**_**caleocaleocaleo) **_**in any way towards either (**_**caleocaleocaleo) **_**but you can clearly see (**_**caleocaleocaleo) **_**my preference ;) Enjoy chapter ten and thank you for reading :D!**

**Forever sibuna: You're awesome! Thanks for reading :D**

**Ravenwolf24: I hope that was a good scream ;) Thanks, reviews like this make me grin madly when I get them on my phone :D Hope you liked this chapter, next update is Friday!**

**Guest: I am a proud through and through Aussie from the west coast :D And I try to post in the early evening because a) it's usually when I'm on my computer and it's a good time to post for my fellow Australians, and b) a lot of my readers are American and I like giving them something to wake up to. I haven't actually thought of everywhere else but I hope it's not too bad of a time schedule for everyone living north, south, east or west of me. I'm glad you're enjoying Calypso's thoughts on Leo. I liked her a lot more when she's insulting Leo than when she's fawning over Percy, that's for sure. Thanks! Hope you liked chapter ten and thanks for reviewing!**

**Dommyisawesome: Thanks for reading and I'll definitely continue writing these two. I usually update on Mondays or Fridays although I might skip a Friday every now and then. Hope you liked chapter ten!**

**Guest: I KNOW AREN'T THEY ADORABLE!? Next chapter is actually Calypso's perspective on Gaea's offer so that should be fun right? Glad you're enjoying it so far, thank you for reviewing!**

**Carrot-Bunny: Hello again! I am in **_**a lot **_**of fandoms but perhaps none more so than Harry Potter. So I see your Butterbeer and raise you a Fire Whiskey :D Many fandoms makes for a well balanced fangirl I always find :D Also, I get a little carried away with my responses (I'm trying to shave them down. Unsuccessfully but I'm trying!). Eventually I'll probably end up giving away the whole damn plot in one I think. And it's perfectly logical to get happy about seeing your name written by someone else or in someone else's memo. To the CALEO fluff! Next chapter is Gaea's offer and Calypso's reaction to it so I hope you enjoy!**

**Guest: I don't know how but my favourite OTPs are the ones where one is immortal and the other isn't. It's like setting yourself up for failure. DAMN YOU RIORDAN! Anyway, glad you're liking it and naww, shucks, those kind of compliments make me blush. Hope you liked chapter ten and thank you for reviewing!**

**Music lover bwg: I'm glad people aren't finding it too OOC. As to your problem…See, this Leo is my Leo, Shy's Leo, if you will. And Shy's Leo is Calypso's. Your Leo? He is **_**all **_**yours ;) Enjoy him! Also, Shy's Nico belongs to someone as well but they come in later. Maybe :) Hee hee hee. Glad you're liking it so far, hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N: Happy Monday! Hope you've had a great weekend! Not really much to say except that you're all amazing and fantastic and all those other adjectives of praise ;) Hope you like Chapter Eleven!**

**Much love, Shy One)**

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The first time Mother Gaea appeared to Calypso, she could scarcely believe that the infamous, ancient, powerful but ultimately buried entity her father had spoken so highly of could possibly be so…corporeal. Her power felt like hot gritty dirt on a howling wind, bathing Calypso's entire body with its force.

"It cannot be…" she breathed to herself, stunned. The Earth Mother could not truly be here on Ogygia.

Thrown with surprise, Calypso watched as Leo tossed a pair of pliers at her face but they passed straight through. On the one hand, Calypso felt relief that Gaea was not physically present and yet the power and strength radiating from her was unnerving.

_You want to live. You want to join your friends. _Gaea said, her voice rough like boulders crushing together. _But you do not _need _this, my poor boy. It would make no difference. Your friends will die, regardless._

Leo looked struck but his face held emotions Calypso had never seen on him before. A mix of terror and burning rage. _This is the reason his eyes grew dark, _she realised, recalling the change in the boy she'd witnessed through her looking glass. _Somehow Gaea is the reason._

"What I _don't _need is more lies from you, Dirt Face." He growled, menacingly. Calypso blinked at the name. Dirt Face? "You told me my great-granddad died in the 1960s. Wrong! You told me I couldn't save my friends in Rome. Wrong! You told me a lot of things."

The ancient goddess' laughter was deceptively soft. _I tried to help you make better choices. You could have saved yourself. But you defied me at every step. You built your ship. You joined that foolish quest. Now you are trapped here, helpless, while the mortal world dies._

Calypso did not realise the rushing heat was coming from Leo until she glanced down and found his fists encased in wildfire. He could not injure Gaea from here but he seemed ready to try. She let a gentle hand rest on his shoulder and met Gaea's closed but no less seeing gaze.

"Gaea." She let the sound of the waves, the call of the birds, the wind in the trees steady her, let them fill her with power. Ogygia was _her _home. This place was _hers. _"You are not welcome."

Leo still twitched but seemed to calm a fraction as Gaea lifted her arms toward her, as though hoping to embrace her. _Ah Calypso. Still here, I see, despite the gods' promises. Why do you think that is, my dear grandchild? Are the Olympians being spiteful, leaving you with no company except this undergrown fool?_

Calypso's teeth clenched. She was the only one allowed to call Leo 'undergrown'.

_Or have they simply forgotten you, because you are not worth their time? _Gaea continued, thoughtfully.

Her mouth dried as the Earth Mother vocalised all her fears. _Yes, _the Earth Mother breathed, sadly. _The Olympians are faithless. They do not give second chances. Why do you hold out hope? You supported your father, Atlas, in his great war._

Calypso's mind was filled with images of her father, his broad tall body draped in dark robes as he hefted his sword in front of an army of Titans and monsters. She remembered her half-sisters, Erytheia, Aegle, Hesperia, Arethusa and her father's greatest disappointment, Zoe. She remembered, for a moment, what it was like to be a young goddess who simply wanted to honour her father, to keep life as it was, to suffocate the Olympian's change before it overtook her world.

_You knew that the gods must be destroyed, _Gaea continued. _Why do you hesitate now? I offer you a chance that Zeus would never give you._

"Where were you these last three thousand years?" Calypso asked, embittered. "If you are so concerned with my fate, why do you visit me only now?"

_The earth is slow to wake. _Gaea lifted her hands in supplication. _War comes in its own time. But do not think it will pass you by on Ogygia. When I remake the world, this prison will be destroyed as well._

The words seemed confounding, like a dialect of some far off place she had never before heard. "Ogygia destroyed?"

_You do not have to be here when that happens. _Gaea promised. _Join me now. Kill this boy. Spill his blood upon the earth and help me to wake. I will free you and grant you any wish. _The idea of Leo's bright crimson blood dripping out over the sandy beach made her ill and yet, the idea of escape had never been as close as it was now. _Freedom. Revenge against the gods. _Gaea added. _Even a prize. Would you still have the demigod Percy Jackson? I will spare him for you. I will raise him from Tartarus. He will be yours to punish or to love as you choose. Only kill this trespassing boy. Show your loyalty._

For so long, Calypso had dreamt of keeping one of her heroes but none, perhaps, so much as Percy. She had only loved him such a brief time but the thought of him, even now, made her tongue-tied. She could have him. She could have freedom, escape, love. All at once. A younger Calypso who had raged against the Olympians for decades would not have thought twice.

A breeze suddenly picked up from the ocean, carrying the smell of smoke from the camp to her nostrils and it killed any sort of desire she might've had for Percy Jackson and the murder of Leo Valdez. As if Percy could love her after costing him the world. As if she could live with herself knowing the blood of the infuriating brave demigod beside her was on _her _hands. As if she would earn her freedom through bloodshed and hatred.

Summoning the latent magic around Ogygia, she thrust her hand toward Gaea in the ancient banishing ward against evil. "This is not just my prison, Grandmother. It is my home." _And he is…different. _"And _you _are the trespasser."

Hearing its mistress call the Earth Mother a trespasser was obviously enough for Ogygia. The slight breeze became a raging wind that tore Gaea's apparition to shreds.

There was a brief pause and Leo spoke, confused. "Uh, don't take this the wrong way, but you didn't kill me. Are you crazy?"

The anger that had built over the conversation felt like lava through her veins. How dare the Earth Mother speak to her like that? How dare she try to coerce her after being punished once for blindly supporting her family? How dare Gaea treat her like some kind of lovesick, distressed nymph? Once, she'd been a sorceress under Tethys, not to be trifled with lightly. Her name was held in the same breath as Medea and Circe! That the gods thought she could be so easily manipulated was embarrassing but from Gaea, it was insulting.

"Your friends must need you, or else Gaea would not ask for your death." She told Leo.

"I- uh yeah. I guess." He stumbled over the words.

"Then we have work to do," Calypso decided, stiffening the walls around her heart until they felt like a weight of iron in her chest. "We must get you back to your ship."

* * *

They worked quickly and efficiently, Gaea's gravelly voice in her head. The Earth Mother would not take the time to find the island and put in the strength to appear if Leo were not important. He was needed by his friends, by the world. His staying on Ogygia was no longer an option.

The day was still new when she began collecting the supplies he'd need for his journey. Since the raft was not functioning, Calypso gathered water, food, medicines, anything she could think of that the raft might have provided.

"What is your plan?" she asked once she'd gathered her things. Most of Leo's time had gone into fixing up the looking device and that odd bronze sphere he carried about but she knew from his rambling that he was still getting around to getting off the island.

"I'm making a boat." He replied, evenly, sketching out a diagram in the wet sand.

"From bronze? I'm afraid wherever you found your hidden cache, it is the only amount on Ogygia." She replied, casting a glance at the scrap metal on the workbench doubtfully.

"Ye of little faith," Leo muttered, cracking his knuckles. "The boat is going to be wooden. There are a few good sized trees further up the island, they'll do."

"You're going to knock down my island?" Calypso asked, tiredly. Would his destruction never cease?

"Yep," he replied, unapologetically. "Look, I'll try not to get the saplings so they'll grow back. It'll be fine." Leo added in an uncomfortable tone when he took a glance at her expression.

"And how will you be steering this noble vessel?" Calypso asked, dryly though his promise not to kill the saplings was quite kind. She loved to settle in the canopy some days and she would miss the sensation if it were lost from her forever.

Leo looked offended. "This is a boat, Sunshine. Now, the _Argo II, that _was a vessel. As for steering it, that's where I'm gonna need help. I need a sail. And rope." He explained the diameters and Calypso was surprised to find little hesitance in his tone. He knew she could do this. He had…confidence in her.

It was not an unpleasant feeling.

Calypso spent the rest of the day and much of the evening at her loom, strong, gentle hands arranging the threads until the sail began to appear, thick white canvas embedded with enough magic to weather proof and strengthen it against tearing. The rope would be trickier, but she decided that could wait until tomorrow.

It felt good to be working towards a goal again. She'd forgotten what that was like, forgotten what truly contributing was like. Of course, she'd always nurtured her heroes, helped them, healed them, befriended them. But that was support. This was involvement. It was like being on a team, picking a side again.

When she finished for the evening, Calypso stood, a content smile on her lips. She made her way to the neat stacks of clothes on the shelves of her cave and unlooped her gold threaded belt from her waist, unpinned the gold and jewel broaches from her shoulders and let the crimson silky dress fall to the floor.

She had just donned a lighter sleeping gown when the loom caught her eye again. Calypso thought of the clothes she'd made Leo and with some unwillingness, her thoughts drifted to how much better this bizarre cotton 'denim' fabric looked on him, how comfortable and confident he'd appeared in his own clothes, how the hot day's sweat had soaked through his shirt, pasting it against his arms and stomach…

Calypso snapped herself out of it, scowling. So the infuriating demigod wasn't a _complete _weakling. What did it matter? Nothing, that's what.

And it would continue _not to matter _for as long as Leo was on Ogygia.

* * *

**Big thankyou to everyone who reads, follows, favourites, reviews or spends a moment in this wonderful corner of fanfiction! And now, REVIEW TIME:**

**Iaslus: YOU'RE SO SWEET! I'm glad it comes across as being canon, I'm trying to stick to Riordan's style as much as possible. I'll definitely keep posting, updates are Mondays and Fridays. Also, just because you reviewed, here's a heads up: Caleo first kiss comes up in chapter fourteen! GAH! Hope you enjoyed chapter eleven!**

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: I'm glad you liked my A/N and I will repeat it as often as possible to reassure all you wonderful readers, HEA are my choice of ending :D Also, Gaea is kind of a jerk but we haven't seen the last of her in this story. Yet. Hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reading!**

**Randomosity4arty: Alright I confess, but only because I would want you to make an informed decision. Also, Reyna will pop up in later chapters, promise. At the moment, we'll just let Calypso stew for a little while hmm? Glad you're enjoying it so far, hope you liked chapter eleven too :D**

**Music lover bwg: Yep, you get to keep your very on Leo and Nico pair! Anyway, glad you liked last chapter, hope you liked this one too**

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: Gaea. Again. I know right? It's not the last of her, I think. Hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reaaaadinggg!**

**Athena'sOwl36: Agreed, she's swimming in denial. Also, wonderful use of adjectives and I'm glad you like Calypso's POV :D Updates are Mondays and Fridays so I hope you liked chapter eleven!**

**Dragonstorm24: Mondays and Fridays are all I can handle, unfortunately, if I'm going to write, reread, edit, write, add, subtract and do whatever else needs to be done to publish it. If you're looking for Caleo stories (though I'm flattered that you follow mine :D), there are some great one-shots, I particularly like **_**I'm a Damsel (I Can Handle This) **_**by DeathMeetsLife on Archive of Our Own. It's just a single-chapter but I really liked her version of Calypso. So happy to hear you're liking it so far, it makes me grin crazily when I get email notifications on my phone! I hope you liked chapter eleven :)**

**The Invisible Pretender: Hercules is one of my all time favourite movies and that song feels like they should be singing it to each other while also arguing and bickering in between the choruses. Also, save the cats! Punch a pillow whilst pretending it's Leo's head, far more satisfying. Torture will be continuing for a while yet, including some particular angsty chapters coming up soon. Apologies but there's always light at the end of the tunnel! Hope you liked chapter eleven!**

**Magpiefeather: Oh gods, me too! I thought of that song nonstop! Glad you're enjoying Calypso's character (I figure she's a thousand year old goddess, she's got plenty of character to be used :D) and the story so far. Also, the part with Leo's partially burned shirt was just too good of an opportunity to waste but I'm glad you didn't think it was too OCC, it was my only worry about the chapter. Hope you liked chapter eleven and thank you for reviewing**

**Fluff-is-awesome: Hello again, and I love you too! Also, naww, shucks, you'll make me blush and if I could write this forever I would. Except that I have an adorable ending planned for these guys! Anyway, Calypso is **_**definitely **_**pulling a Meg but seriously, how can she resist the adorableness that is Leo Valdez? The opportunity was too good to pass up with the shirt thing but I'm glad you liked it, it was the only part I worried about for this chapter. I love this couple too, Caleo is just too cute and being called the canon of them is such a compliment, I'm bright red! I'm glad you like the story so far, I'm trying to keep to Riordan's style for this fic. Hope you liked chapter eleven!**

**Rodo272: NEXT UPDATE IS…WELL, NOW BUT USUALLY IT'S MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS! GLAD YOU LIKED IT :D HOPE YOU LIKED CHAPTER ELEVEN TOO!**

**PJoHoOFan: Hi! Enjoy the Dam snack bar, the Dam feels are just Dam delicious :) Awww, thanks for reading mine first, it makes me so happyyyyyy! Glad you're enjoying it, hope you liked this chapter too!**

**Totalbooknerd13: Agreed. Calypso, hurry the hell up and kiss the ever living daylights outta that boy! (It **_**so **_**didn't surprise me that she made the first move in HoH because Calypso's is **_**so **_**much older than Leo, I figure she's had a lot more experience than Leo) Hope you liked chapter eleven too!**

**House3-0f3-Hades3: FEEL THE LOVE, FRIEND! I'LL CHECK YOU PROFILE OUT WHEN I GET A MOMENT TO BREATHE THIS WEEK!**

**Themadkatter98: The feels are like exercise, the only way to handle it is to **_**SAVOUR THE BURN! **_***coughs* anyway. I'm so glad you like it, this review made me grin like a loon for an hour when I read it. Also, if I could figure out how to transfer skills, I'd be chasing down a dozen artists on Tumblr so they can lend me some ;) Hope you liked chapter eleven and thank you for reading!**

**Forever sibuna: Unfortunately, I don't think we've seen the end of her in this fic or in Blood of Olympus but HEA will prevail! Glad you liked it, hope you liked chapter eleven too! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Tenneyshoes: Hi! Don't even worry, thanks for taking the time to review this chapter at all! Hope you like this chapter too and also, I'm working on the Morse code chapter as we speak. It won't be posted anytime soon but eventually, I hope. THANKS FOR READING!**

**Ravenwolf24: ENJOY YOUR QUEST and THANKS FOR REVIEWING! Next chapter is on Friday :D**

**Carrot-Bunny: Oh well, enjoy the Butterbeer then! Also, I love the fact that most of Percy's modern adaptations were stories Riordan told his own kids (who have both dyslexia and ADHD if I remember correctly) but you're right, it does give us mortals hope. Also, the Seven will be making it out alive. No ifs. No buts. It **_**will **_**be happening and that is the end. Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Fearless Noodle: I really really liked your review :D I have a similar opinion on the shelf-life of fanfics, there's nothing I hate more than reading something that should be wonderful but can't match up to the book it's trying to predict. I might include **_**details **_**of Gaea's inevitable defeat but in all likeliness, I won't be describing it in full chapters, I don't think but I hope I don't disappoint too many people :( Anyway. Hope you liked this chapter too and I'm glad my replies make you happy and giggly because you should see the grin on my face when I get a review notification :D**

**TeamLe0: I LOVE you and you are AMAZING! If Riordan doesn't hook those two up in Blood of Olympus, heads will roll, I'm sure. Thanks for reading!**

**Girl-On-Fire-Forever: UPDATING NOW! (PS. Updates are every Monday and Friday)**

**Bkaddictjk: I love you. Your review made my day :D**

**Guest: ALL HAIL THE GODDESS OF SHINY THINGS AND DOORKNOBS! PLEASE ACCEPT MY MOST GRACIOUS OFFERING OF CHAPTER ELEVEN! (PS. THANKS FOR READING :D)**

**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter is: **_The first time Calypso actively helped one of her heroes' escape Ogygia._


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N: Happy Friday everyone! Hope you've all had a great week and enjoy your weekend. Sorry this is late, this week has been particularly frustrating. Thanks for reading!)**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

The first time Calypso actively _helped _one of her heroes' escape Ogygia was also the first time she realised she wanted this particular hero to stay. It was, of course, a slow realisation.

The morning after she finished her supply gathering, Calypso began at her loom again, bright and early. She began recalling the pictures she'd seen in Leo's not-magical-but-might-as-well-be looking glass of other girls' clothes as well as the clothes she'd already made for Leo. At first she had a hard time imagining that trousers and shirts could be so popular for women but when she tried the garments on, Calypso lost any shred of hesitancy.

The feeling of such close fitting breeches was liberating and comfortable, the stretchy denim conformed to her legs perfectly. It had only taken an hour or so to weave something that would fit her, trousers that were loose but not quite as loose as Leo's and a shirt like the one she'd made him. The end result was fitted but incredibly comfortable. They were much less of an encumbrance than her dresses and made her morning routine of gardening and weaving far easier.

It felt almost…risqué somehow, wearing fabric that fit so closely to her own skin, revealing the slenderness of her legs, the fullness of her hips and backside. But she'd seen the other females in Leo's looking device wearing similar clothing. It was obviously common in this new world and she resolved to start wearing more of it.

She began weaving rope for Leo's rigging. Twisting the strands together into tight lengths was trickier than she'd expected although eventually, she had wound several long coils at her feet and the morning sun was beginning overhead.

Calypso fidgeted, unprepared for the nerves that trickled through her spine. Her part of Leo's escape was done, she realised. She had helped in however she could and her side of preparations were completed. Peeking out from the cave entrance, she watched Leo moving around his camp, short bursts of bright flames appearing every now and then as he hunched over something on the workbench.

She wondered about him some days. He still bewildered her. Leo Valdez' tenacity was unlike any hero's she had ever encountered. He worked nonstop with a mechanical mind that pieced everything together like it was part of him. Leo had never really watched her with admiration, never took his eyes off anything but his work but he treated her like a person, not a goddess, not even like a pretty girl, or some delicate creature. It was as disconcerting as it was refreshing because, as Calypso was beginning to realise, she didn't want to lose these feelings of equal contribution between them.

With a deep breath, she tucked her hair behind her ear and set off towards the beach, slowly. If he had fawned over her like the others had, it might've been easier. As it was, Leo was so absurdly unpredictable that when she appeared at the edge of his camp, she felt nervous.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone harsher than she'd intended.

Leo didn't even bother to glance up from the device in his capable fingers. "Nope. Just pretend I'm not even here, Sunshine."

She tried not to feel offended but her voice was slightly sharp nevertheless. "I have completed the sail and rope. There are supplies packed for a weeklong journey and they are all encased in enchanted wrappings-" Calypso took a breath to steady her rambling. "Can I help with your project?" she finished, trying to make her voice light and friendly. It worked…marginally.

Leo finally looked up, curiously. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were anxious to get rid of me." He pointed out with a tiny flicker of amusement in his gaze.

Her spine straightened indignantly. "That's a bonus." She assured him, snappily.

The snarky remark seemed to gain more of his attention and he glanced over her clothes with a raised brow. "What's with the wardrobe change?"

Calypso followed his gaze and shrugged, fighting to keep her voice even. He had a horrible way of throwing her off her usual calm and it bothered her. A lot.

"They are far more practical than dresses." She replied, shrugging. "The clothes I made you were so comfortable that I decided it was a good change." In her cave, her new fitted trousers and shirt had seemed like a good idea but standing on the beach, she began to realise the shirt had soil stains on it and there was a tear in one knee of the denim pants from kneeling in her garden. No wonder Leo did not treat her like a goddess like the others had, she realised. Her mother would be horrified to see her looking as such.

But Leo didn't appear to care much. His expression twitched slightly in a way she hadn't seen before, perhaps surprise, perhaps something else but before Calypso could try figuring it out, he'd gone back to work on the device. A surge of irritation flew through her. "So?" Calypso pressed, pointedly.

"So…what?" he muttered back, glancing back at her.

"So can I help? How is it coming on?" she added, gesturing to the device. It looked like a bundle of rubbish to her but then again, the Titans had never had much use for mortal machinery.

"Oh, uh, I'm good here." His voice sounded slightly flustered though she couldn't think why. "I guess. If I can wire this thing up to the boat, I should be able to navigate back to the world."

"Now all you need is a boat." Calypso added, nodding with a small peek at the supplies she'd stacked up near his camp. A mix of irritation and sadness swept through her that all Leo Valdez needed to escape Ogygia was a boat. How easy it was for him.

"What Gaea said…" Leo suddenly said, looking wary. "About you getting off this island. Would you want to try it?"

Despite herself, Calypso scowled. As though it were so easily done.

"What do you mean?" Calypso replied, her teeth slightly gritted. Gaea's offer rang around the inside of her head sometimes in the darkness of her cave, looking up at the crystals scattered over her roof, glowing with magical light. Killing one strange demigod for an end to her punishment. But she couldn't do such things. She _wouldn't. _She was not a Titan. She was not her parents.

"Well…I'm not saying it would be fun having you along, always complaining and glaring at me and stuff." Leo pointed out, dryly. "But I suppose I could stand it, if you wanted to try."

The offer felt bittersweet. "How noble." She remarked, cursing the word in her head. She hated the noble ones. Nobility made her love them, nobility made them leave. "But no, Leo. If I tried to come with you, your tiny chance of escape would be no chance at al. The gods have placed ancient magic on this island to keep me here. A hero can leave. I cannot. The most important thing is getting you free so you can stop Gaea." Calypso explained, keeping her voice steady although there was definitely strain. Leo's expression seemed conflicted and she quickly hastened to add, "Not that I care what happens to you but the world's fate _is _at stake."

She couldn't have him thinking she _liked _him in any sort of way.

The conflicted expression didn't leave. "Why would you care about that?" Leo asked, brow furrowed. He didn't look quite as offensively joking with his face so serious. "I mean, after being away from the world for so long?"

The question caught her off guard because honestly, everyone assumed that she was a Titan's child, through and through, since the first war. It never crossed their minds that she might have changed, if only because Titans were so infamously _bad _at adapting and changing. "I suppose I don't like being told what to do." She decided at last. "By Gaea or anyone else. As much as I hate the gods sometimes, over the past three millennia, I've come to see that they're better than the Titans. They're _definitely _better than the giants."

In her head, Calypso recalled both sets of immortals with a shudder: killing mortals for sport, pronouncing their superiority at any given moment, their behaviour unchecked by any divine laws. The ancient rules were hardly perfect but they were better than nothing. "At least the gods kept in touch," Calypso added, thinking over her last immortal visitor. "Hermes had always been kind to me. And your father, Hephaestus, has often visited. He is a good person."

Sometimes, she could see glimpses of her old friend in Leo. Something about his voice, or the capability of his hands or that incredible mechanical sense of the world. Hephaestus had often visited her, not like Apollo or Dionysus had, to woo her and try their luck at bedding her, but as a friend, gentle but strong and well meaning if not utterly awkward. Calypso found herself studying Leo with thoughtful eyes. _How much like your father are you, Leo Valdez? _She wondered, reaching out to close his jaw, which had clicked open somewhere between her talking about giants and her telling him that she knew his father quite well.

"Now, how can I help?" she asked, impatiently.

The demigod didn't seem to really hear the words for a moment. "Oh." He glanced down at his project. Calypso could actually see the moment his idea hit him, the slight change of his expression from surprise to inspiration spilling from his eyes, his mouth, the peak of his brows. When Leo had an idea, he wore it all over his face. "You know that flameproof cloth? You think you could make me a little bag of that fabric? About yay big?" he held his hands out to show her.

Calypso waved her hand dismissively. "That will only take minutes. Will it help on your quest?" she asked, doubtfully.

"Yeah. It might save a life." he told her, frankly with a bright glint in his eyes. "Also, um, could you chip off a little piece of crystal from your cave? I don't need much."

The more he spoke, the more he seemed like his father, Calypso noted, wryly. His mind worked four steps ahead of everyone else too apparently. "That's an odd request."

"Humour me."

It was on the tip of her tongue to reply that not trying to drown him or otherwise kick him off her island the first day he'd crash landed on her beach was humouring him enough but she paused. "All right. Consider it done. I'll make the fireproof pouch tonight at the loom, when I've cleaned up. But what can I do now, while my hands are dirty?" she showed him the dirt encrusted beneath her fingernails and the callouses from weaving rope. His face froze for a second and he gulped, shaking his head as though to rid himself of a stray thought. That odd expression of surprise was back, mixed with a kind of wary admiration.

"Well, you could twist some more bronze coils." He suggested with a shrug. "But that's kind of specialised-"

Calypso nearly rolled her eyes as she studied the coils on the bench beside him and began working the bronze wires in her lithe fingers, braiding the pieces together as easily as she'd done with the rope. "Just like weaving. This isn't so hard." She told him, frankly.

He looked at the pieces critically but seemed pleased. "Huh. Well, if you ever get off this island and want a job, let me know. You're not a total klutz."

She decided to focus on the backhanded comment rather than his talk of leaving Ogygia. "A job eh?" she smiled, smugly. "Making things in your forge?"

"Nah, we could start our own shop." He replied, a mischief-laden grin spreading across his face as he spoke. "Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters."

Despite herself, Calypso grinned back. "Fresh fruits and vegetables."

"Lemonade and stew." He continued, dark eyes bright with humour. "We could even provide entertainment. You could sing and I could, like, randomly burst into flames."

The image of the pair of them in front of masses of customers listening to her sing with Leo suddenly exploding into flames at random intervals was too much. She laughed loudly, her hands paused on the wires for a moment. A small part of her wondered what it might be like (ridiculous entertainment ideas aside) to work alongside Leo back in his world as they worked together here in hers.

"See, I'm funny." Leo pointed out, proudly.

She couldn't let his head swell too much so Calypso tightened her expression, though it still bore traces of laughter. "You are _not _funny. Now get back to work or no lemonade and stew." She added, threateningly.

"Yes ma'am." Leo snickered and the silence that followed for the afternoon seemed to pull them together rather than forcing them apart.

* * *

That night in her bed, Calypso let her thoughts drift to a far away shore called Manhattan, to an imaginary workshop with her name and Leo's across the door. She let herself think about how it might feel to stay with Leo Valdez, how perhaps he was not as cocky or insufferable as she'd first supposed.

Calypso thought of how different Leo Valdez was to the rest of the demigod heroes. He was the Hephaestus to their Apollo, she thought, idly, though the comparison did not suit perfectly. She wondered if he had meant it when he'd asked her to come with him.

She wondered if perhaps the kind, equal way he treated her wasn't more respectful and welcome than any hero who had showered her in compliments before him.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone who's reading, I really **_**really **_**hope you're enjoying it so far!**

**REVIEW TIME! (Also, I really should stop writing responses that are as long as the damn chapters)**

**MEleeSmasher: I'm glad you're enjoying it. The next chapter is a bit different to the book, kind of a deleted scenes type of thing and after chapter fifteen, it should start deviating more which is where I get to have a bit more fun. Thanks for reading :D**

**Fearless Noodle: You've got to stop giving me these compliments, my head won't fit through my door. Lots of Caleo action in this chapter and also, Catching Fire is flipping amazing except for the fact that they ignored Madge Undersee and I can never forgive them for it. Also, I ENJOYED MY VIRTUAL BLUE COOKIE VERY MUCH THANK YOOOU. Hope you liked chapter twelve :)**

**The Invisible Pretender: The light will come sooner rather than later. I hope. Also, RESIST THE URGES! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU IN YOUR QUEST and thank you for reading!**

**Moomoopie: I LOVE YOU TOO ;/DMIFOFIM/AFPODfmwrflargnle Bleurgl. (You made me fangirl into my keyboard with your wonderful review so I hope you liked chapter twelve!)**

**PJoHoOFan: Hello! Dam skeletons getting in the dam way! Hope you liked this Friday's update, sorry it's late! **

**Sly Raccoon (cool name): I'm really glad Calypso makes sense, her character is really based on both the books and the bit of research I did about her. She's a daughter of two badass Titans, I figure she's got to be pretty cool herself :D Thank you for the cookies and I hope you liked this chapter too!**

**Anaklusmos26: Awww, thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, it's my first PJO fic but I couldn't help it after reading HoH :D Thanks for reading! P.S. Is that Percy and Ariel in your picture? That's so cute!**

**OrangeNinjaAttack: OH MY GODS YOU'RE GREAT! I'm glad Calypso's coming across as a blend of angsty, nurturing and kind, that's pretty much where I was trying to head. I feel like she's got such a cool backstory, it's a shame to waste her ;) Glad you're liking it so far and I'll definitely check your profile this weekend :D**

**The Oz Meister and Jen Baas: If only wrenches were magical Dirt-Face-Destroying-Weapons. *sighs* Guuuuyyyyysssss, my face is going to explode from blushing if you keep sending me messages like this (but thankyoooooou!) Hope you liked this chapter too!**

**Totalbooknerd13: We really, really do, Calypso sweetheart. But I think I can safely say, we'd all be much happier if you sucked it up and KISSED THE BOY! (Thanks for reading!)**

**Toomanybooks16 (No such thing in my opinion ;) ): I'm so happy you're enjoying it! I feel like Calypso and Leo have such a cute dynamic in the books, it's really fun to interpret them in my own little story :D Thanks for reading and I hope you liked chapter twelve too!**

**Themadkatter98: I LOVE YOU AND AM SAVOURING THE BURN OF MY FANGIRLING AS WELL! I'm so pleased you like Calypso's little slip ups, I'll admit, they're fun to write. They're whole **_**I'm gonna pull your pig tails because I like you **_**dynamic is adorable. Also, everyone who reviews gets enormous hugs from me because you're all absolutely amazing and so, **_**so **_**supportive :D Besides that, I think you write with a fair bit of humour too. Anyways. Sorry this is a bit later than normal and I hope you liked chapter twelve :D**

**Team Le0: Man, you're incredible. And sweet. And flattering because seriously, I'm gonna catch on fire from blushing if I'm not careful :D It's so great that you like it and everything **_**makes sense **_**and you think it's awesome. I think you're awesome. Thanks for reading and I hope you like chapter twelve! I LOVE YOU TOO! **

**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101: Hello! I agree, I feel like Calypso would be a lot happier if they just stopped nudging each other like ten years old and MAKE OUT ALREADY! But alas, they're stubborn so I'll just have to seethe quietly while they work it out. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you liked chapter twelve!**

**Carrot-Bunny: Hello again! I think it's wonderful that he includes his son's work. I have to admit, I don't have personal experience with ADHD or dyslexia but how great is it that his dad turned something he didn't like into a sign of being a demigod hero?! Also, I get the feeling Leo and Calypso will be defying Dirt Face an awful lot in this fic (and possible Blood of Olympus too if Rick **_**hurries up and finishes it**_**) and you are certainly welcome into Operation Guillotine if things don't work out in Blood of Olympus (where channelling Gleeson Hedge is never a bad thing). Thanks for reading!**

**Dragonleader1: You are awesome and I'm sending you telepathic hugs :D Glad you're liking it so far, I've got plans for these two ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Sorry it's late guys, this week has been…difficult in a whole variety of different ways. But it's here and I hope you all like it :D Next update is Monday and because you're all wonderful readers:**

_The first time Leo talked about his adventures, Calypso suspected he didn't even realise what he was saying._

**I'm forseeing fluff in my future.**


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N: Hello everyone, Happy Monday! Few changes to the script today: firstly, these are sort of background scenes from Leo's time on Ogygia in HoH so it deviates from the book a little. Keep in mind, not **_**a lot **_**but a little. The real changes happen later :D**

**Secondly: I've gotten a couple of people who aren't really happy with how close to the book this is sticking. I'm really sorry you feel that way guys but I can't really continue this fic without finishing the HoH Calypso POV chapters. I'd say, wait a couple of updates and see if you like the upcoming chapters where things do change but it's your choice.**

**Thirdly, to wisdom-of-the-sea, that's a good idea, I get sort of sick of having the replies section being as long as the chapter itself. **

**So for this week, I'll try **_**PMing my replies to you lovely reviewers **_**instead of writing them here. **

**I'll try it this update but any Guest reviews will be answered here, for obvious reasons.**

**And lastly: WARNING THERE BE SMALL AMOUNTS OF FLUFF AHEAD.**

**Phew, now that that's over:**

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS!)**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The first time Leo talked about his adventures, Calypso suspected he didn't even realise what he was saying.

While working in silence had suited them fine the first day, Leo had an indeterminable amount of energy that made a quiet working environment unbearable for him. So he talked instead and after a while, Calypso began asking questions. She always asked the men who appeared on Ogygia questions, about themselves, their friends, their families, their histories, their adventures, their quests. She enjoyed hearing fresh tales from the outer world. She'd thought over Percy's stories inside her head for weeks, imagining an enormous metal city where people could not grow gardens. Leo's stories skirted around anything truly revealing but she didn't take offense. Leo Valdez did not strike her as a person who revealed his inner thoughts to just anyone.

Instead, he told her about his friends, daughters of Pluto, Aphrodite and Athena, about sons of Jupiter and Mars. He didn't say _much _about Percy Jackson but the more he spoke, the less Calypso felt as though her heart was being squeezed by the mere mention of his name.

Leo told her about Rome, how Annabeth had gone looking for her mother's statue and as a result, had fallen into Tartarus alongside Percy. He grew quiet then and Calypso gently nudged her last coil toward him, trying to take his mind away from it. She had never been near Tartarus personally but her parents had always spoken of it with a healthy dose of horror. To think of mere demigods against the literal hosts of hell was horrifying.

The subject moved on to his Roman friends Frank and Hazel, their quest to set free Thanatos, god of Death. Leo explained in vague, cryptic terms that the pouch she'd woven would help Frank Zhang immensely and went on to described Hazel, who was actually from the 1940s and a daughter of Pluto, of all things. Calypso thought she must have heard him wrong until he mentioned Festus and realised Leo Valdez was quite probably a lunatic.

"A dragon?" Calypso usually stayed quiet during these conversations but that was too much. "You made a _dragon_? Are you mad?"

"Hey, Festus isn't just a dragon!" Leo complained as he began to weld another part together. "He's so much more than that!"

"Dragons are bloodthirsty, uncontrollable beasts of rage and fire!" Calypso replied, eyes wide in shock.

"Festus is _not _bloodthirsty. He's just…moody. Besides, I didn't make him, some other campers did ages ago. I just polished him up and made him work right." Leo countered, irritably.

Calypso shook her head, helping him shape the pieces correctly with her nimble fingers. "I cannot believe you fly a _dragon, _Leo Valdez."

"You'd like Festus if you met him." He assured her. "I mean, at the moment, he's just a head on the _Argo II _but when I get back, he'll be flying in no time."

"A dragon head is still as dangerous as a dragon." She muttered before changing the subject. "The _Argo II…_that is your ship? Like the old hero Jason?"

"Yep. And we have a new Jason." Leo added, absentmindedly. "He's pretty much my best friend but he's in charge of the _Argo II _while I'm away so if he screws with her, I'm gonna have to hold auditions for his replacement."

"Your ship is quite important to you." Calypso hid a smile. Leo was a lot like his father in that way. Machines were equal if not better than people.

Leo's eyes took on a dreamy look. "She's more than a ship. The _Argo II, _I've been working on her since I was a kid." He explained about his crazy Tia Callida who had turned out to be Hera and the goddess' plan to reunite the two camps. Calypso's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Hera was my foster sister for a long time." Calypso scowled. "I can imagine her doing such things."

"Wait, what?" Leo paused, confused. "I thought your dad was a Titan?"

"My mother is Tethys." Calypso explained, shortly. "She fostered Hera from a young age, groomed her to be queen. If there was one lesson Hera mastered it was my mother's patience for scheming." She could easily recall the Queen of the Gods' haughty glances and coy remarks when she wanted something done. Her mother had told her once that she intended for Hera to rule Olympus alongside Zeus, who couldn't possibly be expected to manage the day-to-day trivialities of an empire.

"_No, Hera will rule the world through him._" Tethys had said, carelessly waving a hand toward her daughter. "_She will remember you fondly, little Calypso. Perhaps she might take you on as a handmaiden when she takes the throne."_

The words sounded as clear and sharp as the day they'd been said inside Calypso's head but she forced them to the back of her mind.

"Man, I hate godly ancestry," Leo sighed, tiredly. "Everyone is each other's cousin's daughter's brother's doctor's mother twice removed."

"This _Argo II, _she must be quite a ship if Hera took note of it." Calypso tried to steer the conversation back on topic and it worked. Leo cheered slightly.

"She's great." He rattled off the mechanics of the ship, the number of oars, the technology that made the rigging function, the pegasi stables in the glass bottom.

"I can't imagine a pegasus appreciating a stable encased by water." Calypso interrupted, thinking back to the pegasi she'd known of over the years who had always enjoyed being able to roam free.

To her surprise, Leo began to laugh. "The _Argo II _isn't an ocean ship." He explained, his eyes focused on the console though he still snickered. "She's a flying Greek warship."

"What is it with you and flying creations?" Calypso rolled her eyes, her mind unable to picture such a thing. An ancient Greek ship with sails and oars belonged on the ocean. Not half way up to the heavens. _Zeus must hate it, _she thought, privately.

Leo shrugged. "I like being in the air. It's great."

"It's not safe." She pressed in a mutter.

The demigod merely laughed. "It is if I build it, Sunshine."

* * *

The more they worked alongside each other, the easier the conversation flowed. Calypso was caught between bitterness that she had forgotten how pleasant conversation (with someone who could talk _back_) could be and surprise that Leo could be pleasant when he wanted.

Between threading wire into spools and trying to retrieve misplaced tools Leo needed from around the workshop while he muttered nonsensically to himself, Calypso enquired as to what the gods were doing about the threat of Gaea. When Leo tried to explain the split between the Roman and Greek aspects of the gods, Calypso tried not to let the idea find any sort of traction in her head. Her aspects were incredibly similar, but she was more Greek than Roman to be honest. Regardless, she didn't want this kind of talk stirring them apart.

"It's dangerous," she told him as they worked. "The gods' aspects should function together. It's not natural for them to be at war with each other."

"Tell me about it," he huffed. "I thought regular Hera was irritating. Roman Hera-"

"Juno." She corrected, absently.

"-is a pain the neck." Leo eyed her, suspiciously. "What about you, Sunshine? Why haven't you gone off the deep end like the others?"

Calypso shook her head, as though trying to rid the thought from her mind. Just speaking about them seemed to jostle the different sides of her slightly, as though reminding them they were indeed different. "I-I am Calypso in both Roman and Greek, as is my father."

"So it doesn't affect you at all?" Leo rolled his eyes. "Figures. Aphrodite, Mr D, Nemesis and you are the only ones not _loco_ and none of you can help."

Calypso shoved him with her elbow hard in the stomach. "And what do you call this?" she asked, indignantly.

He winced, rubbing what was sure to become a bruise. "Fine, _you're_ helping. Still, it figures all the Olympians would go nuts when the world's about to collapse."

"They always did have terrible timing." she agreed, grimacing slightly. If the Roman sides were beginning to dominate most of the gods, perhaps hers was too? Perhaps that was where her short burst of temper had come from when Leo first arrived?

Leo continued his fidgeting while Calypso shivered all over, the thought more than a little disturbing. She'd never had problems with her aspects before. They were practically identical with only minor changes. She didn't like the idea of the Roman side taking over without her knowing because to be honest, she disliked her Roman side.

Calypso, like most of the gods, had her origins in Greece and it was her Greek side that took precedence for most of the time. Greek gods were lovers, thinkers, gentle at times and tempestuous at others. They enjoyed indulgence and beauty and inspiration. Romans, in Calypso's opinion, were far less imaginative.

"What are your Roman friends like?" she asked, distractedly.

"They're pretty normal. A little uptight but then again, they've got me around so maybe that's a good thing." He winced suddenly. "Although Camp Jupiter doesn't like me all that much right now."

"I cannot fathom why." She muttered to herself.

Leo tossed her a dirty look and yanked the final coil from her hand. "It's not my fault!"

"What isn't?"

He looked away, shoulders hunched defensively. "Casper made me sort of…open fire on the Roman camp."

Calypso paused, her brow furrowed. "What was that?"

"I was possessed at the time," he explained, haltingly. "By Casper the Pushy Eidolon."

"I do not understand that phrase but did you say _eidolon?_" she tilted her head, confused.

He shivered, scowling. "Gaea sent them after the _Argo II _and when we arrived in New Rome, it started the war between the camps."

"Gaea has…_eidolons_?" Calypso could hardly believe her ears and despite herself, she leaned away from him a little. "Is it- is it still with you?"

"Of course not." Leo grunted, not looking at her. "Piper kicked them out. But not before I accidentally declared war on Rome and Jason and Percy tried to kill each other."

Calypso still looked wary. "If the eidolons have sided with Gaea, the situation is worse than I thought."

"You're telling me." He muttered back. "It was creepy as Hades, having someone else pulling my strings. Leo Valdez is a one-man show."

Calypso appeared troubled. "Can they enter you…again?"

"Piper made them swear on the Styx not to." he glanced at the goddess who had unconsciously edged away from him and rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to _attack _you Sunshine."

"I know!" she said in a higher pitch than normal. Leo might despise eidolons but they petrified Calypso. _The dead are dead_, her mother had always told her. _And the living are living. That is the natural order of things._

Her father had been far less strict and frequently dabbled in skeletal warriors, resurrection and summoning spirits for his own bidding. Not magic per se, at least not the magic she practised.

"Do you?" Leo questioned, raising his brows. "Cause you're giving me a look like you want to defend yourself with that wrench."

She hadn't even realised she'd gripped the tool until he pointed it out. She dropped it, reluctantly. "My father used to use eidolons." She admitted, quietly. She described one of her earliest memories of visiting Atlas as a girl and catching sight of him training eidolons to flit between enemy bodies, forcing them to fall on their swords or slaughter their fellow soldiers. After that, she hadn't visited him for a long time. Calypso disliked the idea of having something dead among the living, but she hated the idea of letting them _inside _the living even more.

Leo let out a low whistle. "Okay, no offence or anything, but your dad sounds like a psycho. And I'm an _expert _on psychos."

"Titans and gods shared that in common." Calypso murmured, sourly. "Absolute power and all."

Leo looked uncomfortable. "Are you sure you won't get struck with lightning for saying stuff like that?" he asked, cautiously. "I mean, demigods at camp are _strongly_ encouraged to mind their mouths before they talk trash about their folks."

"And yet, you've managed to survive this long." She drawled, wryly.

"Hardee-har." He shook his head. "But if you get smited, I've got twice as much work to do."

"I'm immortal, Leo. If Zeus tries to 'smite' me, I'll yell his name so loudly he'll have a headache for a decade." Calypso declared, flippantly.

"Hm. Well, let's call that Plan B." Leo said.

* * *

By the end of the next day, Leo was nearly finished and _still _trying to explain exactly what the guidance console was to Calypso. She was rather unimpressed by the whole device.

Leo tried to think of terms that would make sense to someone who'd missed out on most of the development of western civilisation but he was coming up short. "It's like a compass but bigger. It uses signals from GPS satellites-"

"I still cannot believe you mortals have been throwing things into the sky." Calypso rolled her eyes, handing him a pair of pliers. "And what's more, Zeus _allowed _it."

"We don't _throw _them into the sky," Leo explained, impatiently. "We _launch _them. A lot of time, money, resources, _work_ goes into it."

"So you throw- oh, I'm sorry, _launch_- these machines into the sky-" she corrected when he threw her a dirty look. "-and it connects back with this?"

"Kind of. And then it works out to what angle to steer the boat to set the course." Leo replied, grinning.

Calypso raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. "It seems like an awful lot of effort."

"Well otherwise I wouldn't know where I was, Sunshine." He mumbled, unhappy about her lack of appreciation. Were a few '_Wow Leo, you're so clever'_s too much to ask? Maybe a '_what a brilliant idea'_ every once in a while? What did a guy have to do for a little recognition around here, anyway?

"Sailors have been using maps and compasses for centuries and they made their trips just fine." She pointed out as the late afternoon sun began to dip into the ocean horizon, a sphere of fiery orange bobbing against the waves. Looking at it, Leo could understand why the Greeks believed Apollo was bathed down by ocean nymphs every evening. It looked like the sea was swallowing up the sun.

"Sure, trips to the right continent maybe. With this, I can sail to an exact point on a coastline." He argued.

Calypso looked as though she wanted to roll her eyes some more. "It makes no sense to me but if you think it is necessary, then I hope it works."

"It _is _necessary." Leo shook his head. "I don't get it. The gods are always such…know-it-alls. Shouldn't you _know _these things?"

She snorted in a particularly un-goddess-like sound. "I know plenty of things, Leo Valdez. Ask me how to make floods or bring in the tide. Ask me about the stingray in the bay and where she came from. Ask me how to create tidal waves or new islands. Ask me about Titans or the gods, ask me what Atlas' strategy was for the first assault on Olympus. Ask me why it failed. Ask me about the time Artemis nearly killed her brother because he tried finding her a husband. Ask me about the time Ares managed to skewer himself with his own spear when he was a child. Ask me why Demeter likes wheat better than barley but for heaven's sakes, don't ask me to understand this nonsensical gadgetry!" She finished in a huff.

Leo blinked, startled out of his comebacks and witty retorts. "…Apollo tried finding Artemis a husband?" was all that came out.

Calypso looked as though she wanted to lecture him some more but a smile began to grow on her face reluctantly. "He thought it might loosen her up." She added with a small snicker. "And she ended up breaking nose so badly it didn't heal for a century."

Leo couldn't stop sniggering for nearly an hour.

* * *

When he actually finished the console, Calypso didn't realise. He held it up for inspection in the light with a thoughtful look and she sighed.

"I'm sure it will function perfectly." She told her, dryly. "You've spent enough time on it, I'd half expect it to be capable of turning the earth backwards."

"Ha-ha." He muttered back, absently. "Sunshine, you crack me up."

"See, I'm funny." She mimicked his comment from the previous day and he sent her a flat glare. "Honestly, what else are you going to do to it? Make it sing your praises? Is there a tool in that magical belt that will turn it to gold as well?"

"Hey, don't knock the belt, Sunshine." Leo adjusted the hardwearing leather tool belt. "This baby has gotten me out of a lot of tight spots."

"I'm sure it has." Calypso replied, indulgently.

"It has!" he complained and began to describe an encounter with a particularly bad tempered group of Cyclopes, which he managed to escape from with his friends using machines called 'crane' and 'conveyor belt' he adjusted with that oh so wonderful tool belt.

"You speak of them kindly." She blurted out when he took a breath.

"Well…yeah, they're my friends." Leo scratched his head with the pliers. "It's sort of required, right?"

"I've rarely heard heroes recounting their adventures without bravado and unearthly praise for each other's deeds." She explained, looking down at the final coil in her hands. "You talk about them like they are people, not legends."

Leo shrugged as he gently arranged the last few wires. "They're great and all, but they're still my friends. I know they're not perfect."

"It's refreshing." Calypso told him, hastily with a small smile.

"I probably don't tell it right," Leo muttered, absent-mindedly while he worked. "I'm better with machines than people. Hand me that piece, will you?"

She dutifully handed over the final wire and he installed the final part in the perfectly sized gap. Leo let out a whoop of success when the console began to hum. "Your mechanical map is born." She admired in a slightly impressed tone.

"_Argo II, _here I come." Leo grinned, whole face lit up with excitement. Infectious though it was, Calypso still felt a tiny seed of reluctance take root in her gut. Because now that he had his path laid out before him, nothing was stopping him from taking it.

* * *

**(A/N: I think she liiiiiikes hiiiiim…**

**Anyway, thank you everyone who reads, favourites, follows or reviews, those little notifications light up my day :D**

**Now, to the Guest Reviews-**

**Tara Luna Apple: I kind of like the cuteness of these chapters too, there's something adorable about these two crazy kids ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Piper fan: My copy of House of Hades says otherwise. Sorry.**

**Guest: Thanks for taking a second to send me a review. I think it's great you like it and your review made me smile for like, an hour.**

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**Thanks again for reading guys, I'm glad you like it so far :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**(A/N: You all knew this was coming. Don't hate me *flinches***

**On happier news: GUYYSSSSsssSSSssssSsss! You awesome readers have made _this story the most popular Caleo story on ff. net_ ! **

**DO YOU KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM RIGHT NOW?! YOU GUYS ARE SO WONDERFUL I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO THANK YOU! VIRTUAL HUGS FOR ALL!**

**Also, who watched Catching Fire and who else thought it was flipping awesome?**

**Lots and lots and lots of love,  
Shy. )**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

The first time Calypso knew for absolute certain that coincidence was never coincidence in the eyes of the Fates, she was sitting on her beach, watching the waves.

Beside her, Leo was polishing off his bowl of stew and the campfire burnt with flickers of green and blue amongst the orange flames from the salt in the small pieces of driftwood kindling. Behind them, the crater he'd made over her dining table loomed, a dark scoop cut out of her island. Calypso secretly admitted that the dining table fit for twelve people was perhaps a little ridiculous for an island of one, occasionally two people. But she wasn't about to tell _him_ that.

"All we need now is a boat," she said, glancing back at the supplies arranged at the edge of the crater, right beside Leo's camp.

Leo nodded in agreement but he looked pensive. "I can start chopping wood into boards tomorrow. Few days, we'll have enough for a small hull."

She privately wondered if Leo knew the trees on Ogygia were much sturdier than he gave them credit but resolved to help him with her goddess strength if he needed it. "You've made a ship before." She noted. "Your _Argo II._"

She could remember stories Hermes had told her in passing of the _Argo I _and her famous crew but couldn't help but think the crew of Leo's ship sounded much kinder of heart and braver. After all, the first Jason had never been asked to defeat a primordial entity like the earth mother. He nodded again but remained quiet, only his knee bouncing absently as he sat. "So," she changed the subject with a forcefully light tone. "How long until you sail?"

It seemed to startle him from his thoughts. "Uh, not sure. Another week?" the bouncing stopped as he said the words. A small sensation of relief unfurled in her belly, despite her attempts to crush it. Another week with Leo. Another week of company.

Forcing her mind from the feeling, she stroked the mechanical mapping system they'd created. "This took so long to make."

"You can't rush perfection." He defended, idly.

She let out a small smile. "Yes, but will it work?" Calypso smothered the part of her that was praying for it not to work.

"Getting out, no problem." Leo said, shrugging. "But to get back I'll need Festus and-"

_To get back, I'll need Festus._

_To get back._

_To get _back_?_

"_What?"_ the shock permeated her voice as she stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Festus." He repeated, blinking with confusion. "My bronze dragon. Once I figure out how to rebuild him, I'll-"

"You told me about Festus." She cut him off, stunned. Something in her chest twisted sharply. "But what do you mean _get back_?"

He sent her a nervous grin. "Well…to get back here, duh. I'm sure I said that."

"You most definitely did not." She stated, sharply. Calypso remembered those kinds of promises. She remembered them all, from every single man.

Percy. _How? Tell me. I want to help. Maybe I can visit you?_

Drake. _Once I've reclaimed my ship, I will find you again, my lady._

Odysseus. _You will release me, oh radiant Calypso? Some day I shall return this kindness and release thee from thy curse._

Clyro. _Will you not wait for me, precious one?_

Theleonius. _I must do my duty, lovely goddess. But when that is done, nothing can stop my voyage back to thee._

All the promises and pretty praises that sliced clean strips of flesh from her heart. And now, Leo's to add to the list.

"I'm not gonna leave you here! After you helped me and everything? Of course I'm coming back. Once I rebuild Festus, he'll be able to handle an improved guidance system. There's this astrolabe that I, uh…that I found in Bologna. Anyway, I think with that crystal you gave me-"

She couldn't bear to hear him continue. "You can't come back."

"Because I'm not welcome?" his voice sounded low and disheartened and she wanted to say yes, dispel his idea of return and reunion now before they grew into the whipping pain of the other promises.

"Because you _can't_." she said, miserably. "It's impossible. No man finds Ogygia twice. That is the rule."

She'd heard fanciful, poetic protests before. _Rules have no place against love! Rules could not stop me from kissing you again! Rules mean nothing to me!_

But of course, no pretty poetry from Leo, oh no, not Leo Valdez.

No, Leo rolled his eyes and snorted instead. "Yeah, well, you might've noticed I'm not good at following rules. I'm coming back here with my dragon, and we'll spring you. Take you wherever you want to go. It's only fair."

"Fair…" she echoed in a whisper. _Oh Leo, _her heart wheezed, suddenly struggling under the weight of an emotion she'd felt many times before but never quite as intensely. He wanted to free her because it was fair. Not because she was beautiful. Not because he was trying to be a hero. Not because he said he loved her.

Because it was fair.

_Oh gods, not again. Please not again. _The ache in her chest intensified even as he continued talking. "You didn't really think I could start Leo and Calypso's Auto Repair without Calypso, did you? I can't make lemonade and stew and I _sure _can't sing." He teased.

She didn't look at him but she could feel his discomfort at her silence.

"Well anyway, tomorrow I'll start on the lumber. And in a few days…" he began to say. She knew the precise moment he saw the raft appear because it was also the same moment she felt love burning in her chest.

Love. Oh, how she had come to love this infuriating demigod. Calypso allowed herself one deep breath.

Then she rose to her feet in the blink of an eye, racing across the beach to the supplies. "Hurry!" she called out to him, grabbing several bags and loading them onto the raft. "I don't know how long it will stay!"

She could see his confusion. "That's the magic raft?"

Using an expression she'd gleaned from his own mouth, Calypso yelled back at him as she quickly loaded up. "Duh! It _might _work like it's supposed to and take you where you want to go but we can't be sure. The island's magic is obvious unstable. You must rig up your guidance device to navigate!"

As soon as she grabbed the navigation system, he followed her, quickly connecting the various parts to the raft. His hands overlapped hers, showing her how to clip the running wires and the tiny brush of skin sent electrical jolts running up her spine. She moved in perfect unison with him, quickly, efficiently. It was so smooth, Calypso nearly likened it to dancing but the comparison didn't quite fit. This was building together. Helping each other. Gods, she thought she would have another week before her ridiculous heart and his stupid mouth brought the raft to shore.

She knew when it was ready because the raft suddenly tensed, ropes tight, sail taunt, sphere and guidance mechanism humming with power. She had not offered Leo Valdez the same haven on Ogygia that she had suggested to the others because she knew he would not, _could not_ take it. And the pain of that rejection would have been fierce indeed.

_Oh the Fates are cold, _she mused, bitterly. Even now, every cell of her immortal body was straining, wishing she could tear him off that ridiculous raft and back to the beach with her. To have him. To keep him. _Let me keep you, Leo, just stay here with me._ A part of her murmured in a voice as light and frantic as hummingbird wings.

But instead, she stood on the sand beside him and lifted her head high. "Go."

He turned to her and she remembered how she'd clutched his arms for balance on the first day they'd met, right here, at this exact spot. She remembered how she'd thought of all the other heroes she'd said goodbye to at the same spot, how she'd never dreamed Leo would become one of them. But there he was, his face conflicted even as he took in the straining raft. She didn't move away this time. She stood right where she was, close enough that she could smell the smoke from their campfire curling off his clothes and hair.

"The raft finally got here." He stated, uncertainly.

"You just noticed?" she snorted, her breaths coming just a little unevenly. _Go now, Leo Valdez. Please just go so I can get over you. Just like the rest._

"But if it only shows up for guys you like-" he began.

Calypso cut him off. "Don't push your luck, Leo Valdez. I _still _hate you." She snapped. _Please go. Please stay. Gods, I think I love you, you stupid, stupid demigod. Why did it have to be you?_

"Okay."

"And you are _not _coming back here." She added, sternly. "So don't give me any empty promises." _Don't say it, Valdez. Don't even think it._

"How about a _full _promise?" he proposed, stubbornly. "Because I'm definitely-"

But Calypso couldn't bear to hear the words any more than she could stop herself from grabbing his face in both hands and tugging him to her, his mouth warm but dry and surprised beneath hers. His lips moved hesitantly, slowly against hers and the chaste brush of his mouth was enough to send explosions running across her skin, down her spine, all the way to the tips of her toes. It was an ending just as much as it was a beginning. A hello just as it was a goodbye.

When she pulled away, Leo's eyes sprung open in utter shock. "That didn't happen." She stated, pushing him into the boat.

"Okay." His voice was strangled and high.

"Get out of here." She demanded.

He gulped. "Okay."

With that, she stormed back to the campfire, and sat down, not looking back at him even as the wind suddenly caught the sail- his sail, _her _sail- and the raft shot away from the island. She extended one arm without looking and the waves became strong and even, carrying him away and past the bounds of Ogygia with her magic.

Sitting on the beach, staring out at the waves as Leo disappeared from sight, Calypso let the tears run from her eyes, her hands clutching the sand beneath her. She understood now that she had always been destined to love Leo Valdez. His appearance was not a joke from the gods, not an accident or a coincidence. The Fates had woven him into her path before he'd even been born. There were no such things as coincidences, not to the three spinners.

She was destined to love Leo Valdez, just like he had been destined to break her heart.

* * *

**(A/N: Ouch. But don't worry, all will end well. Hopefully. Also, Clyro and Theleonius are 100% imaginary. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, favourited and read this chapter, you're all amazing!**

**Guest Review Time:**

**TimTamDaFish: I accept your wonderous offering of cookies, shiny things and awesome doorknobs and in exchange, I bestow upon you…the saddest chapter this story so far. Hm. Alright, I'll come up with something better for next time :D Thanks for reading!**

**TaraLunaApple: Hello again! That chapter was actually one of my favourites so far to write so I'm glad you liked it :D This chapter gets sad though, apologies but we all knew it was coming. I really like replying to reviews and messages, it's like having a conversation with all you lovely readers. Thankyou for taking a sec to write them and thanks for reading! **

**Geekmaster13: This chapter and the next are going to be according to the book and **_**then **_**I start straying. Slowly. Thanks for reading.**

**Gabsters (aww, cute name): Man, I love you! Thank you for reading! Also, Leo calling her Sunshine was too adorable to leave out. Now I just have to come up with a name for him…Anyway. I see your Hunger Games reference and I raise you a Star Wars reference: May the force be with you.  
P.S. If you're a THG fan, did you see Catching Fire? Wasn't it amazing? I love it. O.O**

**Guest: These two are just too cute, I loved them the second I read them in House of Hades. Glad you like it and thank you so, so, so much for reading! **

**Z (mysterious name): I'm **_**so glad you like it! **_**Calypso's character was one of the parts I worried about but I did a bit of research before I tried and her background was just too interesting to leave alone. I mean, Hera being fostered by her mother Tethys to be Queen of the Gods, her father being Kronos' right-hand general, her sorcery considered in the same league as Circe's and Medea's? I couldn't let her go, she's too interesting! But I'm glad that came across in how I wrote her. Also, Leo is Leo, I had to do him justice. Thanks for picking up my typos, it doesn't happen often but when it does, I like to know. Thanks for reading!**

**P.S. Agreed, perhaps just a bit. (She **_**totally **_**likes him.)**

**Guest: They like each other in that way ten year olds like each other: **_**I think you're cute so I'm gonna put worms down the back of your dress **_**type of like. Aren't they cute? Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Sad chapter this week I know but upside is- well, actually Monday's update is kind of sad too I think. In fact, warning: sad times ahead. Hope you liked it guys :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**(A/N: GUYS! IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER FROM HOUSE OF HADES ARE YOU EXCITED I'M SO EXCITED!**

***ahem*  
Anyway, thank you once again to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited or followed this story, you guys are actually amazing readers!**

**It doesn't go back to the 'real time' immediately after this chapter but it'll get there. Be patient please, lovely readers. It'll get there, I promise.**

**Thanks for reading!  
Shy )**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

The first time Leo landed in Malta, he was tired, weakened and had managed a fantastic tan, even for him. He was also driving himself out of his mind thinking about a certain dark eyed goddess who had kicked him off her island after all.

The raft had proved safe-ish, its magic functioning to some extent. Several times Leo tried to plug in directions to the east or north but the raft's will was stronger than the Archimedes sphere and it simply sailed along, uninhibited by the winds or currents.

No food or water appeared to him, which he thought was strange for a magical raft that was meant to take care of him. Leo realised the irony that his project which had taken so long and so much effort was all but useless but the supplies Calypso had gathered in an afternoon and the canvas sail she'd woven for him were what kept him going.

It was around half a day of sailing, during which Leo had to steady the raft with the rigging a few times when it rocked dangerously or seemed ready to crash into debris and ocean flotsam. He remembered what Calypso had said about the magic being unstable. The raft worked, Leo began to realise. But it worked like someone had fed it six shots of Mr D.'s cranberry vodka mixes (the ones he wasn't allowed to drink) before letting it loose on the open seas.

Keeping his eyes out for land and trying to keep the boat together took most of his energy, particularly when the raft began to flail, slowing down and speeding up just as the sun began to blossom on the horizon. It chased the night sky away, replacing it was a blazing hot daylight that pounded down against his skin. Leo accessed the sphere's power and managed to create a kind of motor that kept the raft's power going until it finally reached its destination.

The island appeared as a kind of glowing speck on the horizon and at first, he worried that he'd found the second unchartered island in the world. But as it grew bigger, Leo realised the island was made tall by seawalls at least sixty feet tall with a bursting city on top. Churches with domes and pointed spires, long buildings of golden-coloured stone were all tightly packed together above the harbour.

When he finally made it to the docks, Leo guzzled the last of the water and set to trying to guide his tiny raft towards the longest jetty, amongst fishing boats and expensive looking yachts. His raft scratched the side of one particularly shiny white boat though Leo made sure to pull in as far away from it as possible, sticking as far out as he dared. The _Argo II _would see it and know he was there. He hoped. At this point, it was anyone's guess.

His muscles trembling from having to forcibly steer the raft in, Leo grabbed one of several spare coils of rope and tied off the ship with a knot that looked like a three year old had done their best to tangle the rope as much as possible. He didn't particularly care, Leo decided, disconnecting the Archimedes Sphere and taking one of the supply bags with him. It wasn't like the raft was going to get him home.

As he pulled himself onto the wooden jetty, an old man in some kind of uniform appeared with an irate expression. "_Tieqaf! Inti ma tistax tħalli dgħajsa tiegħek hawn mingħajr ma tħallas!" _he grunted, angrily.

Leo held up his hands, clueless as to what the man wanted and more tired than he'd been in a while. "English dude?" he asked, blankly. "Seriously, you don't even wanna know the day I've had."

The man's moustache twitched. "Not free! No leaving boats without payment!" he said in heavily accented but overall, pretty good English.

Leo scratched his head and glanced down at the extra coil of rope in the supply bags. He heaved it out and handed it over for inspection. The old man checked it over and tested the strength, his eyes registering surprise and pleasure. "This will do." He said, simply.

The sun growing hotter as the morning passed, Leo looked up towards the city walls which had a good view of the sea. "Anywhere up there I can hang out for a while?" he asked, squinting up at the umbrellas perched along the walls for cafes.

The old man peeked into Leo's bag, watching the fresh fruit, flask of grape juice and fluffy bread with interest. "Come with me." He ordered, jerking his toward the entrance to the city. "For that, I will show you best coffee in Valletta!"

The old man introduced himself as Yannick and for the remainder of Leo's supplies, handed him forty euros and a free ride up to the top of the city walls. He gestured to one of the outside cafes with bright red umbrellas over the tables with a crooked finger. "Best place for coffee!" he insisted as Leo said goodbye and asked for a table.

* * *

The waitress and baristas spoke fantastic English mixed with some of that native Maltese he'd heard Yannick speak in so Leo dutifully ordered a cup of plain coffee and sat out on the nearest table overlooking the harbour, knowing that he'd eventually have to find a phone or use the Archimedes sphere to alert the _Argo II._

But first, he had to rest, his muscles tense and face hot from the trip. He leaned back in the chair, feeling like he should be working or doing something but with an utter lack of energy to do so. It was almost disturbing; at least, he would've been if his attention hadn't been consumed with other things. He sipped at the coffee but he couldn't taste it. Usually caffeine would've sent his ADHD through the roof and made him extra fidgety but Leo's thoughts were too focused on the memory of Calypso's face when she pushed him onto the raft.

"_That didn't happen."_

"_Okay."_

"_Get out of here."_

"_Okay."_

To anyone else, it seemed kind of harsh and mean. But all Leo could think about was the utter defeat in her eyes and the tension in her voice as she held in tears. She didn't think he was coming back. She really, honestly believed she'd never see him again.

He drank more coffee and watched the harbour, feeling out of place among all the people in the café. He'd only spent what? A week? Two on Ogygia? How could it have felt so long? _Time doesn't flow the same way here,_ she'd told him with scorn in her voice. _It will pass differently than the outside world. _Leo could hardly believe he _missed _her snarky little remarks and the smug little smirk she would send him when she was proven right.

And she'd kissed him. Kissed _him. _His first kiss and it was from a trapped goddess on a phantom island who he may or may not have fallen a little in love with during his stay. Because honestly, how could he not have? She was perfect in all the ways gods typically were and imperfect in all the ways he liked.

Leo sighed, an unfamiliar weight, he instinctively knew was the Stygian oath he'd sworn, settling on his shoulders. She liked him back. Loved him even. She must have, to make the raft appear. At the same time, there was an entire world to save and his friends to rescue from Tartarus and a crazy earth psycho to rebury and so many things that needed to happen before he could find her again and even then, he had what? A rusty astrolabe and a piece of clear crystal to help him.

But gods help him, he missed her so badly that he even ordered another round of coffee without even thinking about it.

At that point, Leo realised he was in rough shape.

* * *

The morning passed and he felt a little less weary that by the time the _Argo II _appeared about half a mile from the island as if from nowhere, Leo mustered a smile that his friends were at least safe from the ice-crazy goddess Khione. He could see Festus' bronze head on the prow, proud and glowing in the afternoon sun and the figures of his friends appearing on deck as the ship slowly moved into the bay.

Leo from two weeks ago wouldn't be waiting around while his ship was in sight. He would've been pacing the docks and launching himself at the hull the second it came close enough. It probably would've been a pretty spectacular reunion- praises, promises never to part and interrogation as to how his friends had been treating his baby in the time he was away, would be involved.

Instead Post-Ogygia Leo was dreading having to explain to his friends why he looked like someone had run over his puppy. Post-Ogygia Leo stayed where he was, trying to pull some kind of composure together as he watched his friends disembark and begin the trek up to the city walls.

"Pull it together, Valdez." He ordered himself in a mumble. "They can't know about her." Leo couldn't tell them about Calypso, not yet. He was still having trouble believing the whole thing was real himself.

When they eventually found him, Piper was the first to reach him, bulldozing into him with a tight hug. "Leo! Gods, where have you been?" she exclaimed with a beautiful bright smile.

Coach Hedge was next, his grin swapping to a deep scowl. "Valdez! You ever disappear like that again, you little punk, I'll knock you into next month!" he growled in his own special way.

Nico shook his hand with a half-smile and Frank slapped him hard on the shoulder, looking pleased to see the demigod alive and in one piece. Leo realised they had no idea if he'd survived or not, even though he'd been confident that with four other demigods besides Jason and Piper, there was no way Khione could've utterly destroyed the _Argo II _and his friends. The relief was evident in their smiles and relaxed shoulders.

"We thought you were dead!" Hazel said, kissing him on the cheek with a smile he would've blushed at before. Before Calypso, Ogygia and two of the most confusing, amazing weeks of his life. Now, it felt much the same way it had with Piper, like a sister or a really good friend.

He tried to force a smile to match their relief. "Hey guys. Nah, nah, I'm good."

He couldn't quite meet any of their gazes and when he caught Jason's thoughtful look out of the corner of his eye, Leo realised his composure wasn't exactly air tight. The others made themselves at home at his table, Jason taking the seat immediately to his right. They grinned at each other, expressions of happiness and relief although Jason began to look curious.

"Hey man, what happened?" he asked in an undertone.

Jason was his best friend. There were few people in the world he trusted more than the blonde Superman-demigod son of Jupiter and if he were to tell anyone about Calypso (about the island, about the crater, about how she'd screamed at him, cursed him, about how he'd thought she was a pain in the neck, entitled bratty goddess the first time they met, about her garden, about how she made him laugh, about how she'd kissed him like it was the first and last time, how it had been hours and he still _missed _her so badly), it would be him. But he couldn't bring it up here, Leo tried to convey with a glance around the group. He couldn't explain it all to his friends, his allies, and have them look at him with sympathetic, sad expressions: _Stupid Leo Valdez who falls for any girl who looks at him. Stupid Leo who is going to be the seventh wheel until the end of freaking time._

"I got marooned. Long story." He said, casually with a shrug. "How about you guys? What happened with Khione?"

Coach Hedge burst into a retelling of the conflict, starring Piper as a badass kung fu queen who singlehandedly annihilated the army of Boreads from the _Argo II. _Piper herself looked embarrassed and cut in several times to correct the satyr.

"Coach! It didn't happen like that at all!" she finally interrupted, exasperated. "I couldn't have done _anything _without Festus."

The name of his favourite flying monstrosity caught his attention. "But Festus was deactivated."

Piper looked sheepish. "Um, about that. I sort of woke him up." She continued, explaining how her crazy Beauty Queen mind control voice had permanently rebooted the dragon.

"Shouldn't be possible…" But the idea caught his attention without meaning to as Leo began to realise the possibilities of a rebooted Festus. "Unless the upgrades let him respond to voice commands. But if he's permanently activated, that means the navigation system and the crystal…"

The crystal's magnetic properties, which he'd noticed on Ogygia when fixing Calypso's curtain rod, could be amplified by a rebooted Festus. And the astrolabe could be installed in the dragon's navigation system once he was fixed. Maybe.

Excitement flickered to his fingertips as easily as flames could. The crystal could work-

"Crystal?" Jason echoed and Leo flinched, jolted out of his thought process.

"Um nothing." He covered, quickly. "Anyway, what happened after the wind bomb went off?"

Hazel took over while the waitress appeared to go over their orders. Leo paid for the sodas and club sandwiches which tasted phenomenal on the warm day. Frank began to fidget with a pamphlet shoved beneath the napkin dispenser while his girlfriend explained how Piper kicked Khione the White Witch's butt back to Narnia with less martial arts but no less praise for her friend's heroism. Piper herself kept touching Leo's arm, smiling happily that he was back and Nico stood guard, studying the tourists for any hint of monstrous attributes.

He tried to focus on the conversation but his thoughts were caught up in the idea of Festus and the crystal, which still sat in the pocket of his army jacket close to his heart. He remembered how Hazel had kept Frank's piece of tinder in the same place on her jacket and began to realise just how much trust there must be between the couple for her to take on something so important.

As it was, Leo couldn't imagine giving the crystal over to anyone else. It was his way back to Ogygia, his chance to return where no hero had ever returned before. His oath bore down on him even now, an ever-present weight across his shoulders and the crystal seemed to hum in response.

He could tell his mood was bringing the team down so when Hazel mentioned the _venti _horses Jason used to travel to Malta, Leo couldn't resist a whistle. "Hot-air horses? Dang, Jason. So basically, you held a bunch of gas together all the way to Malta and then you let it loose."

Everyone cracked a smile except for Jason who sent him a suffering frown. "You know, it doesn't sound so heroic when you put it that way."

"Yeah, well. I'm an expert on hot-air. I'm still wondering, why Malta?" it was the one question he'd had about the raft and its tenacious choice of destination. "I just kind of ended up here on a raft, but was that a random thing or-"

"Maybe because of this." Frank laid down the pamphlet and tapped on a cartoon picture of a pretty Greek maiden crying tears as a boat sailed away in the distance. "Says here Malta was where Calypso lived."

The words made his hands twitch and he felt pale all of a sudden. "W-what now?" Calypso lived here? Here in Malta? Ogygia was close? The urge to search the horizon was strong even though he knew logically it wouldn't make a difference.

The Roman shrugged. "According to this, her original home was an island called Gozo-" _Ogygia, _Leo wanted to snap. _It's called Ogygia. _"-just north of here. Calypso's a Greek myth thingie right?"

_Sure, _he added snarkily in his head. _Sure, she's just a myth thingie. She's also a gardener, she likes weaving, she wears torn jeans and has a voice that brings things to life, does it mention that anywhere? She's completely unafraid of dirt and grime, she's trapped for a mistake she made before most of the world was even discovered and she's pretty much _perfect _except for when she's not, then she's just so amazing_-

"…Do we get to fight her? 'Cause I'm ready." Coach Hedge was saying when Leo shut his internal commentary up.

The idea of fighting Calypso was so ridiculous and sad because not only could she probably kick his butt with her pinkie, but finding Ogygia was said to be impossible for one man, let alone six demigods and a bloodthirsty satyr. "No," Leo said, in a low voice, studying the tiny teardrops of the Greek maiden cartoon. "No, we don't have to fight her, Coach."

_But I have to find her. After this, after all this is done, I have to find her. _"Leo, what's wrong?" Piper asked, concerned. "You look-"

"Nothing's wrong!" he stood up, summoning back his energy forcibly. Sometimes the only way to be better was to pretend until you believed the lie. "Hey, we should get going. We've got work to do!"

Hazel didn't look convinced. "But…where did you go? Where did you get those clothes? How-"

"Jeez, ladies! I appreciate the concern but I don't need two extra moms!" he teased, jubilantly.

Beauty Queen gave a hesitant smile. "Okay but-"

"Ships to fix! Festus to check!" Leo listed, cheerfully. "Earth goddesses to punch in the face! What are we waiting for? Leo's back!" he spread his arms out with a wide grin. _Goddesses with pretty smiles to find._

Thankfully, Jason slapped his shoulder in agreement. "Leo's right. We should get going."

Not even a moment after Frank swallowed the last of his sandwich, Hazel gasped, staring off to the horizon. "Guys…"

Leo looked but nothing appeared out of ordinary to him. Coach Hedge and Piper seemed to agree with him although Nico and Jason looked wary.

"That can't be…Greece is still hundreds of miles away." Nico muttered, cautiously.

"You think it's Epirus?" Jason asked him, brow furrowed with suspicion.

"The House of Hades is open for business." Nico nodded, grimly. Leo wasn't an expert on doom, gloom or the underworld but he was going to take a stab in the dark that the House of Hades being 'open for business' was _not _a good thing.

"It's begun." Hazel murmured after a rumble of thunder echoed out over the water, drawing odd looks from the tourists enjoying the sunny, cloudless day.

"What has?" Leo asked, warily.

"Gaea's final push. The Doors of Death are working overtime." She explained, looking solemn herself. "Her forces are entering the mortal world, en masse."

"Well never make it." Nico stated with a scowl. "By the time we arrive, there'll be too many monsters to fight."

"We'll defeat them. And we'll make it there fast. We've got Leo back. He'll give us the speed we need." Jason stated, his voice low but firm. A leader's voice. A leader's words. With a quick glance to Leo, he cracked a small smirk. "Or is that just hot air?"

Leo's mouth split into a crooked grin, a rush of energy filling him from head to toe. If the Doors of Death needed to be shut, then they would shut them. Percy and Annabeth _would _get out of Tartarus. Leo _would _see the end of Gaea's awakening. He would set things right alongside his friends, finish out this quest and when all was safe, he'd find Calypso again. He didn't forget what Gaea had said about destroying Ogygia. Calypso couldn't leave on her own so if Dirt Face woke up, she would be in just as much danger as Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.

Leo's resolve hardened. He refused to be Odysseus, an old man making a half-finished astrolabe in Ithaca, muttering in his sleep. His tenacity dug its heels in and refused to budge on the matter. Gaea would be sent back to her mattress to sleep away another few eternities. And Calypso would never be his 'biggest what-if'.

"Time to fly boys and girls," he said, cheerfully with a wide grin. "Uncle Leo's still got a few tricks up his sleeves!"

**(A/N: Yes, yes he does. **

_Tieqaf! Inti ma tistax tħalli dgħajsa tiegħek hawn mingħajr ma tħallas!_  
Maltese for Stop! You cannot leave your boat here without paying!

**However, I have it on so and so authority that the Maltese speak excellent English, so let's run with it okay?**

**Alrighty, guest review time ladies and gentlemen!**

**Fluff-is-awesome: Alright, I know you're not a guest reviewer but you keep leaving these wonderful reviews and I CAN'T PM YOU BACK SO HERE IT IS: Thankyouthankyouthankyou you amazing reader! I'm so glad you like the amount of detail and depth to the character, I always worry it's too much or too little but hearing that my chapters and dialogue have substance is like the greatest compliment a fanfic author can hear! Now, as for the Caleo fandom, I draw a lot of inspiration from the fanmixes, fanart and headcannons which are swarming all over the internet and I'm so, so, **_**so **_**glad I can contribute to it and that people can enjoy it! Also, fake canon? Man you are the BEST. As for ruining it, cross your fingers, from here on out I start making up things. THANK YOU FOR READING, WONDERFUL READER! P.S. She's totally trying not to and she's **_**totally **_**failing, poor lucky girl.**

**Z: Love, the Fates, curses- all fickle and occasionally marked for tragedy. And also, calm yourself friend, happy endings are the only endings I want to write. Promise. Maybe. No seriously, promise. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked chapter fifteen too!**

**Tara Luna Apple: BRING FORTH THE TISSUES! I'm sorry I made you cry friend, I promise it gets better…eventually. Just a little sad bit for a little longer. I hope. THANKS FOR READING! Hope you liked chapter fifteen :D**

**Winonabcd: Hello again! Don't worry, it's enough that you read them, taking a second to review is just extra-wonderful! IMEXCITEDBECAUSENOWWEGETTODEVIATE! Hope you enjoyed chapter fifteen!**

**THANKS FOR READING EVERYONE, YOU'RE LOVELY ALL OF YOU! Next update is on FRIDAY and begins to deviate JUST A LITTLE. To test the waters, so to speak. Happy Monday!**


	16. Chapter 16

**(A/N: Happy Friday guys! Long-ish chapter today, are we all excited? **_**I am**_** BUT MAINLY BECAUSE I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER I THINK YOU'RE GONNA TO LIKE IT IN THAT WAY WHERE YOU HATE IT BUT STILL LIKE IT. I THINK.**

**Now that that's out of the way-**

**Did anyone else realise that Drake was an **_**actual **_**pirate from the sixteenth century? For a history major, I'm so disappointed in myself for not piecing it together earlier *sighs***

**Anyway, hope you like this chapter and thanks for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing guys, you're amazing :D**

**Love,**

**Shy.)**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The first few times she imagined the island was telling her that Leo Valdez would come back for her, she worried that she was finally losing her sanity.

She'd had near misses before. Usually right before another hero washed up on her shores like flotsam after a shipwreck. In a way, they were like reminders from the gods. _No, you aren't mad. Just cursed and pathetic. _The worst time was probably after the pirate Francis Drake had left her- he was the last hero for nearly five hundred years before Percy. In a way, she told herself she was being ungrateful.

"You got two wonderful heroes inside the space of ten years." Calypso muttered under her breath the morning after Leo's departure. She had woken in her bed to the sound of rolling waves and a smooth summery breeze, the same sounds that _always _greeted her. Once, long ago, she used to wake up the morning after and forget that she'd been abandoned for just a few moments. Those sleepy seconds were always gloriously sweet: she used to think of her guest fondly, maybe wonder what they'd talk about or what he might describe to her that day. If she might brush against his hand, if he'd smile at her. Then reality would slip in and the drowsiness would fade from Calypso's eyes entirely, revealing an empty island and a cold bed. As always.

But as heroes came and left, the seconds grew shorter until she woke the morning after Leo's departure and did not have even an instant of forgetfulness before his absence made itself known.

"Come on, stupid girl." She told herself sternly as she combed out her hair and washed her face and hands in her basin. "You know what has to happen now."

There was a plan, a routine, a _guide _to dealing with these horrible feelings. You don't get to be over three thousand years old and perpetually grief-stricken without having some kind of coping method.

She always allowed herself the evening after the hero in question left to drown herself in her silly tears (which she had, on the beach, beside their campfire and half-finished picnic which now tasted bitter in her mouth and heavy in her stomach). But after that, it wasn't right to keep weeping like her sobs could bring him back.

Calypso had to pull herself together.

* * *

The first step was to carry on as if the hero had never arrived at all: her solo routine each morning had to be carried out as normally as possible.

So she fixed her bed, ate her breakfast, rinsed her hands. But when Calypso tried tugging on her old dresses instead of her new clothes, the sight of them laying limp in the corner of her cave was too much of a temptation. Eventually, she submitted and pulled on her torn jeans and t-shirt, simultaneously finding comfort in the soft fabric and feeling bitter from the memories that came with them.

For the first week, her mornings started with the insignificant struggle of trying to wear her old dresses and failing until she finally gave up.

* * *

The second step was to destroy all the immediate signs of his presence in her life. She always missed a few things but by the time she found them, they usually lost their pointedness and ability to pierce her and leave her gasping. For the most part, destroying those signs was always the most effective part of her plan. For her injured heroes, this meant their medicines, bandages, things like the crutch she'd made for Odysseus's broken foot, the splint she'd fashioned for Drake's arm, their clothes, leftover weapons or any other possessions left behind.

For Leo, it meant his workshop and all the scrap metal and junk he'd left lying around.

Calypso really had intended to go down to the campsite that morning but one of her herb jars fell over and she decided that refilling it was probably more important anyway. And while she was there, she decided she might as well refill the rest of the jars and reorder them to her liking. The next day, she made it to the edge of her garden when suddenly the satyr statue on her fountain caught her eye and the image of Leo's quick fingers mending the spout for her rudely invaded her thoughts. She decided to give herself another day before trying to destroy the camp, just to make sure she wouldn't be distracted again.

The third morning, Calypso spent most of the morning mustering her strength and this time she made it all the way down to the edge of the camp before her feet refused to move any further. The driftwood workbench sat in the afternoon sun, the array of scraps and tools glittering across it. It looked like a careless child had spilled a jewellery box across the bench, letting the scraps shine in a fine blend of gold, copper and bronze. "He's not here, foolish girl." She said through gritted teeth when her traitorous eyes scanned the area.

She reached one arm out to the shoreline and the waves began to grow stronger, crawling further and further up the beach. Her jaw locked and her fist tightened with strain as she summoned the magic nestled at the centre of her chest. This was a necessary step, Calypso decided. Leo's campsite and everything it reminded her of had to disappear- she was going to let the ocean swirl forth and claim it all, sweeping it into the waters so she'd never have to see it again. His things, clothes and tools would all leave Ogygia for good and they'd take every memory of him with them.

All the days she spent along side him- _fiddling with metal wires and raising her brows at his silly grin, the image in her head of him glancing up at her with an unimpressed roll of his eyes or a tiny quirked smile_- would be completely and utterly gone, she promised herself. Calypso channelled her grief into a tight, throbbing weight inside her, letting it give her strength. Difficult thought it was, the waves obeyed her power and eventually the foam brushed the very edge of the campsite, greedily stretching out to snatch it away-

_And leave her with nothing. _She gasped, envisioning that very image of her own stupid demigod standing at the bench and knowing in every corner of her soul that she couldn't destroy this place which had come to meaning _everything _to her. Without really intending to, her hand dropped and the sea retreated, leaving the empty camp untouched. Her fists shook, pressed against her flipping stomach as she turned away, ignoring the campsite entirely and sprinting back to the safety of her cave.

(She didn't come out of her garden for three days and when she did, she made herself a bargain that the camp could stay but she could _never _go near it. It didn't stop her from hearing the phantom sound of the forge or smelling a faint wisp of smoke on the breeze.)

* * *

So far it had been just over a week and she was utterly failing at the third step of her plan. The third step was to keep busy and start thinking about the next hero who might arrive. _The best way to forget a man is to think of another man, _her sisters had once told her, many years ago. He could be tall (but she wanted short) or strong (but she'd much rather quick) or charming (but she wanted argumentative and wickedly clever instead). He might wash up on the beach or stumble across Ogygia in a lifeboat (but Calypso thought she preferred 'falling out of the sky and destroying her dining table' much better). Daydreaming had suddenly become incredibly difficult for her.

"You just _had _to like him didn't you?" she muttered to herself one evening, wearily as she collected berries and apples and grapes from her plants. Gathering them was simple, mindless work which left so much time for thinking that Calypso was nearly prepared to toss all her harvest into the ocean out of spite. "You couldn't just hate him. No, you had to notice that ridiculous mop of hair and that infuriating grin and his eyes and- and-"

At that point Calypso would stop herself from thinking of Leo Valdez's mouth or that absurdly stunned look on his face when she kissed him or that certainty he held in the line of his shoulders when he mentioned coming back.

Because he wouldn't be coming back. No man came back. It was foolish to ignore her curse and Calypso was hardly a fool. Not anymore.

It wouldn't have been so bad, she mused, if he hadn't _changed _so many things while he'd been there. The little things he'd fixed for her were almost nothing compared to how time began to pass for her again. Not in the aimless, disconnected way she usually associated with Ogygia but as though her heart were recording each night spent without his company for her. She was suddenly aware of the days and it made her even more lonely.

Which was ridiculous. Because he wasn't returning.

Since daydreaming wasn't working out very well, she filled her day with as much as possible to keep busy and active. Calypso walked across the island over and over, around the beach, up the hills, to the highest peak and the lowest bay, aimless and yet called to check every crevice. She avoided Leo's camp of course but visited the rock pools nearby where she could keep both her cave and his camp in sight. She studied the anemones and tiny striped fish that flitted around her feet, undisturbed by her presence.

She had been a sea goddess before the First Titan War. Her mother was Tethys, titan-queen of the ocean and her father Atlas, he who carried the world. Calypso caught herself repeating the words under her breath as if to reassure herself that she was real, that she had a past if not a future. Once upon a time, she could have made tidal waves and dried up lakes in the blink of an eye but much of her powers had been stripped since she was cursed.

And yet the ocean didn't repel her, merely accepted her as it always had. "Can you bring him back to me, my friends?" she bent down low, having turned up the cuffs of her…what had Leo called them again?...ah yes, _jeans. _She spoke to the school of colourful fish that circled her ankles and nibbled her toes.

The strange visions and sounds that invaded her thoughts alongside the loneliness obviously never intended to leave her alone because the gentle lapping of water on rocks took on a rushing sound that almost seemed like the word _yes._

Which was not true. Because Leo Valdez was not coming back.

* * *

At the end of the second week, she'd all but given up on the third step and the fourth was failing rather spectacularly as well.

Illuminated by the noon sunlight, Calypso climbed the tallest tree on the highest peak of Ogygia, digging her fingers into the smooth trunk until she had scaled it up to the canopy. All to get away from the smell of smoke that permeated her cave.

It was her own fault really. She had been thinking over the crystal Leo had asked for while weaving and carelessly let the garment slip from her fingers into the open flames that cooked her midday meal. Within seconds, the fabric had caught alight, consumed by the rich golden fire and emitting plumes of charcoal smoke that filled her cave in mere moments.

Her air spirits fixed the problem immediately but the smoke was everywhere still, sinking into everything around her and all it reminded her of was an infuriating, stupid demigod.

She left without another word, the smell still following her in tiny traces on her shirt and hair even with the fresh sea breeze tussling her braid. Calypso realised she was crying slightly about half way up the tree and cursed herself for it. Step four was to accept and forgive her heroes who were just as bound by the rules of her curse as she was and couldn't be blamed for leaving.

But thinking about Leo didn't make her want to forgive him or accept his departure. It made her want to be angry. No, not angry. It made her want to be _furious _again. It made her want to feel so utterly enraged and lively. It made her want to scream and yell and destroy things. He made her want to hope for more for herself. She wanted to hold him to a higher standard, she wanted to believe he was capable of more than the others.

The thought only agitated the bitterness lying in her heart. How pathetic, to cry over a hero, _this _hero in particular? "He was no better than any of the rest," she snapped at herself, letting her voice rise until the whole island could have heard her. "_He was no different!_"

(That was a lie.)

"He shouldn't have promised me anything!" she yelled again, furiously. "He shouldn't have made me hope!" The wind picked up, bending the tree but Calypso was unafraid. If she should fall, what was the worst that could happen? She wouldn't die certainly, probably just hurt herself and waste time recovering from a broken wrist or fractured knee.

"He is _not coming back!_" she bellowed out to sea, smoke in her nose, tears in her eyes and the wind howling through her hair. Everything made her think of him, everything made her lonely. She hated feeling lonely- it invited in more of those odd thoughts and strange imaginings. Even the wails of the wind were twisted in her head, as though roaring _NO _in her ears. She was going mad, Calypso mused.

She stayed up there for a long time and when she came down, the air spirits had successfully rid the cave of any scent. Calypso laughed at herself when she felt saddened by its absence.

* * *

By the time the birds returned to Ogygia, she'd practically tossed her 'steps' from her mind. Like every other kind of conventional rule, Leo seemed determined not to fit with them so Calypso resigned herself to just ignoring the problem until it went away (no, she didn't believe it would be that easy either). The birds had come back since Leo's departure, drawn by the sweetness of her voice and the food she offered them. In a way, she wished they hadn't- Leo's insufferable banging and noise was the reason they'd left in the first place.

Now they clambered for her attention, even the big sea eagles who behaved more like attention-starved puppies than fearsome avian predators. There was one bird in particular however that refused to draw near to her. It was a small black crow with liquid-dark eyes, not native to the tropics she thought but then again, Ogygia appeared everywhere and nowhere.

While she enjoyed the company, small thought it may be, Calypso was curious about the little bird that refused to come too close, content to merely watch from afar as she spoke with the others, listened to their chirping, sang along with them at times.

It had been over two weeks since Leo had left. Calypso decided she was doing much better at keeping him from invading her thoughts. It helped to remind herself of who she was, a Titan's daughter, a former sea goddess. She would not allow herself to wallow like a wayward mortal princess she decided with a huff. Oh how she used to despise that sort of woman who would allow a man to become the centre of her universe. It was ridiculous that she should do the same to Leo, no matter how much she missed him. Better to just ignore it for the time being. After all, she had eternity to sort through the grief and anger and sorrow.

"Maybe it'll be easier when so many years have passed he can only be dead?" she said in a dull tone. But the idea made her stomach twist so she abandoned it.

They chirped back like the innocent, entirely cheerful creatures they were. Thoroughly unconcerned with her problems, she thought wistfully. "I should strive to be more like you, little ones." Calypso whispered, stroking a particularly eager seagull. "You simply forget the things that cause you pain. I should do the same."

_Never._

The words came unbidden to her mind and she froze, whirling around to look for the perpetrator. "Who is there?" she demanded, shaken.

_Never forgets._

"Forgets? Forgets who?" Calypso repeated, her eyes studying the horizons for any sign of a godly visitor, watching for the origin of the voice-

She suddenly met the gaze of the black crow and paused, curiously. _Surely not…_

_The Styx never forgets._

"The Styx…?" Calypso echoed, brow furrowed as she moved closer to the bird. The others had flown, startled by her movements but the black bird merely cocked its head, let out a single croaky call and took off, soaring up and over the sea.

* * *

Later she decided it must have been a final brief slip into madness- the culmination of all those odd sounds and visions she'd been having. The birds had never _spoken_ to her before, certainly never mentioned the infamous river of the Underworld. Obviously her loneliness had finally consumed her, swallowing her whole. The ocean lapping at the shore, the wind howling through the canopy, the bird chirping on about the Styx- it was her imagination ruining her reality. She set it aside and moved on.

(But she still wondered about it sometimes.)

* * *

**(A/N: Alright, so hands up how many people think Calypso gone loopy and how many think Ogygia knows **_**exactly **_**what's going on?**

**Anyway, Guest review time!**

_Z_**: Hello again! I have been trying to keep to Riordan's style on purpose but I'm **_**so **_**flattered that you liked it that much! Also, I'm really pleased the pacing isn't too slow. I'm still getting used to it but I like to think I'm getting there. And if you ever feel like you missed something, send me a message and I was seriously spend like a page and a half outlining every thought that went through my head as I was writing the chapter haha. Anyway, glad you liked it and I hope you like chapter sixteen as well!**

_Winonabcd_**: Awww thank you for reviewing twice haha. I did the same thing when I was writing this chapter- I was trying to think about why Leo would say something and then realise there were some really funny lines in Malta. Glad you liked Leo's POV, I was a bit worried it might sound too much like a reread. Anyway, no, not Uncle Rick in disguise but oh my gods, I'm so flattered to hear that, I might actually explode from blushing. GET AS EXCITED AS YOU WANT, I'M ALREADY FANGIRLING AWAY AT MY COMPUTER TOO! Hope you liked chapter sixteen too :D**

_Ilovethisfanfic_**: I LOVE YOU, YOU WONDERFUL WONDERFUL READER! Seriously, I'm sending you virtual hugs for such a sweet review ^^ Also, for future reference, updates are Mondays and Fridays- hope that makes the wait easier! THANK YOU FOR READING!**

_V_**: Hi! I'm glad you appreciate the characterisation and the grammar, I'm kind of picky about it and I really enjoy fleshing out the characters more where I can. Do you have a favourite character so far? Anyway. Thanks for reading it so far, hope you enjoy chapter sixteen too!**

_Guest_**: **_**You **_**are wonderful, seriously, thank you for reading and taking a minute to write me a review :D I'm glad you like the characters, I spent a bit of time researching Calypso's mythology in particular because I'm a history major at heart and hers was just too much fun to leave alone. Anyway, HAPPY FRIDAY I HOPE YOUR WEEKEND IS FULL OF WONDERFUL THINGS and I hope you like chapter sixteen!**

_Tara__Luna Apple_**: Hello again! Glad you liked fifteen, here is sixteen (which is sad) and next is seventeen (which is also sort of sad) and then eighteen (which is much less sad). Hope you like 16 and thanks for taking a second to review :D**

_Eon_**: Wow. Such review. So thanks. Many nice. Very blushing. Anyway, glad your fluff meter is in overdrive, so is mine- and if Caleo doesn't happen in Blood of Olympus, I'm gonna- well, really I'm just going to write fanfiction that I like better but I was gonna do that anyway. Hm. I'll work on a better response should BoO not have a worthy Caleo reunion. Glad you like it and I hope you like chapter sixteen too!**

**Next update is Monday (which is also my first day of induction training for my new job so wish me luck!)**

**THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO READS, REVIEWS, FOLLOWS AND FAVOURITES THIS STORY, YOU ARE WONDERFUL AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A MARVELLOUS WEEKEND! **


	17. Chapter 17

**(A/N: So I deviated a little more here. REALLY **_**REALLY**_** HOPE YOU LIKE IT GUYS!**

**Thank you all for reading and thanks to everyone who wished me luck for my induction training, that was really sweet of you guys. It wasn't **_**quite **_**as bad as I thought it was going to be, thankfully but I realised I had my little sister's high school graduation this evening which is why this chapter is so **_**damned late. SORRY I LOVE YOU GUYS**_

**Anyway: onwards!**

**Shy x)**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

The first time Gaea sent her a dream, Calypso nearly woke from the sheer shock of it.

Immortals, generally, did not dream very often and abandoned goddesses even less than that; certainly, she had not dreamt more than a blur of colour and feeling in a very long time.

In spite of this, Calypso felt her surprise melt into tranquillity as the scene overtook her. She couldn't really blamed, the picture was just too tempting to leave.

It was early evening, the sun _just _set and the sky washed with soft velvet blue. She was sitting on the workbench in Leo's camp but he was _there, _like he'd never ever left. She was feeding him scraps of bronze after she filed the burs away with her impenetrable fingernails. Being a goddess was, at times, quite an advantage.

Leo stood at the forge he'd built himself, concentrating on the latest piece for whatever contraption he was making. Calypso couldn't tell and didn't really care. Every now and then, he would forget the tongs and reach into the flames himself, bending the heated metal or warping it into the correct shape with his bare hands.

Calypso felt a thrill of fear every time he did so but he barely seemed to realise that what he was doing could seriously injure any other man. "Be careful." She warned.

"I'm fine Sunshine." He replied, chuckling.

"If you persist in calling me that, I will have no choice but to retaliate." She countered with a tiny smile. Her heart pumped wildly when Leo laughed aloud.

"Like what? Leo, Hottie of Ogygia? Master of All Things Mechanical and Magnificent? The Wondrous Leo?" he suggested with a cheeky twinkle in those dark eyes. With his hair curled, the warm haze of the flames highlighting his smooth dark skin, he looked like he was glowing from the inside.

"You are rather wondrous for a demigod." She admitted with a raised brow.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not a compliment?" he asked, dryly.

Calypso let out a slow smirk. "Because I was going to add that it's a wonder you're still breathing."

"Hardy-har." Leo muttered, rolling his eyes.

_Look at him, dear grandchild, _a voice like shifting sand murmured in her ear as Leo threw her another quick grin. _He could have been yours._

"Hand me another piece would you?" Leo asked, not at all concerned by the voice. Calypso obeyed, handing him another scrap which he began to weld to the other. His hands left molten fingerprints on the copper-coloured metal.

_You could have made him stay with you, let him love you. You would never be alone again._ Gaea added with a hint of a taunt in her tone.

"He had to leave." Calypso replied, watching Leo raise his hammer and pounded out the metal. The movement revealed the deceptively strong muscles of his arms and back and she recalled how she'd flushed when he accidentally burned his shirt off. Even now her cheeks turned a little pink. "He had to stop you."

_Did he? Or maybe he has someone waiting for him? _Gaea suggested, slyly. _Maybe he has a beloved like the one you loved before him. A certain Roman, perhaps…?_

"No." Calypso muttered, frowning. "He told me she wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't mention anyone else."

_He looked worried when he watched the girl in battle, did he not?_

"I-I-" The image of Leo's face studying the bronzed mirror came to her unbidden but different- now, his eyes expressed more concern, his mouth tightened in more horror, his mouth was suddenly whispering words of affection for the Roman called Reyna-

She woke gasping with her whole body tensed, those imagined words still plastered to the front of her mind and scrawled on the inner corners of her heart.

* * *

It was not the last time.

Mere days later, Calypso dreamt of a land she had loved with sweet smelling air and a midday sun that blazed brightly on the horizon. Before her stood the immense statue Leo had mentioned once, the _Athena Parthenos, _looking out over Greece with a peaceful air about her. She had never seen the statue herself nor had she ever met Athena personally but Calypso could feel the power it radiated.

For a moment she almost did not notice the people behind her. Almost.

Percy was there, with his golden-haired Annabeth at his side. Her stomach flipped at seeing him but he didn't resemble the boy she'd once met. Instead, he was sallow and sliced up, his sea-green eyes hard and dark. His cheeks were almost hollow and his features seemed gaunt and harsh. In fact, she realised, both of them were and suddenly Calypso recalled what Leo had said about Percy and Annabeth falling into Tartarus. It was enough to make her shudder as she recalled the ancient god of evil and the pit from which hatred, loathing, greed and rage were born.

There were three Romans in purple shirts though Calypso would've known them on sight. She could tell the difference like a sixth sense, as most gods could.

Finally, her eyes found Leo and she raised her hand to catch his attention but to no avail. His gaze was firmly locked on the angular-faced Roman who circled the _Athena Parthenos _with an awed air. Her mouth moved but Calypso heard no sound, only watched Leo respond with a shrug and a tell tale flicker of humour in his gaze that told her he was teasing the girl with dark, pin-straight hair.

Above the group an enormous ship floated in the air but Calypso's eyes were firmly on Leo and how tired he seemed.

"Why can I not hear them?" she wondered aloud. She did not expect an answer but when Gaea replied, she wished she'd kept silent.

_This is the present, my poor wayward grandchild. You cannot communicate or interfere here. You can only watch your hero as he drifts ever further away. _She replied, mock-mournfully.

The group sat down to eat and Reyna sat down across from Leo, their eyes meeting for a moment. The conversation must have begun but Calypso could hear none of it. She could only watch as Leo used a miniature screw river from his ever-lasting tool belt (oh had she grown sick to death of his praising of the magical, wonderful tool belt) and pierced a small chocolate-coated berry to give to the satyr beside him. His mouth moved and the Roman girl responded, studying the statue behind her.

_Look how they connect, _Gaea noted as the pair caught eyes again and the Roman girl smiled ever so slightly. The image was blurred slightly like a cloud of heat was raised over the scene but still very clear to Calypso's frozen form. _She is quite the leader in the Roman camp. He admires her._

"He said she dislikes him. He told me she blames him for firing on their camp." Calypso's voice was far less confident than she wished.

The group conversation continued, both Leo and Reyna chiming in every now and then though they seemed to be speaking to each other a lot. Leo's eyes never left the Roman girl's face. _Mortals possess such fleeting natures, _Gaea sighed. _Their attentions, so malleable. Their fancies, so easily swayed. Their lives so quickly extinguished, don't you think?_

"Do not toy with me grandmother!" Calypso hissed suddenly, trembling all over. "If you hurt him-"

_Oh no, dear Calypso. I believe he will hurt you far worse than __I__ could ever injure him._ With that, the scene changed and the other demigods disappeared entirely, leaving only Leo and the Roman girl beside the _Athena Parthenos. _

He took her hand (he'd never touched her hand so gently) and she traced his cheek (she'd never gotten the chance to do that) and in the next moment he was kissing her or she was kissing him and when they pulled apart, Leo's mouth was forming words even Calypso could understand. _I love you-_

"Stop it!" she screeched, eyes opening to the kaleidoscope pattern of red, white, purple and green crystals. The ceiling of her cave was a welcome anchor to reality as she rolled out of bed, clutching her skull. She knew that the dream was an illusion, that the blurriness of it signalled Gaea's trickery. It wasn't actually happening, it was a vision Gaea was tormenting her with. But it had felt so heart-stoppingly real.

"Stop it, now." She demanded weakly.

But of course Gaea did not.

* * *

She didn't waste any time in coming up with a plan. The next morning, Calypso set to work growing the plants she needed, harvesting the ones she already had, wording the incantation in perfect Greek, trying to remember all she could about banishing spells. It would not be powerful, not with her limited magic but it would be enough. Ogygia was a phantom island, her birthplace, home and prison. This piece of land, Calypso trusted, would obey _her_ will, even over the Earth Mother's.

The spell needed to be worked during a new moon and so she waited, preparing as much as possible for the next occasion, three nights before the Feast of Spes. She didn't want to sleep. In fact she'd resisted sleeping, dreading the moment her eyes slipped shut. But she also knew that if she was to concentrate for the spell, she would have to rest.

The night before the new moon, she hoped Gaea would overlook her but of course, it did not seem to be the case.

When she closed her eyes, she suddenly found herself in a cave, somewhere darker than she had ever been before and far deeper than she cared to think about. The rocky walls around her shook every now and then, cold and jagged to her questing hands. Calypso tried to calm her quick breaths as she searched for an exit but it was cold, _so _cold, and her feet practically froze upon contact with the uneven ground beneath her.

"Settle down," she whispered to herself. "She's trying to scare you."

But her heart was pounding despite the words and the cold air felt thin in her throat and lungs. The urge to run away blindly was tempting but as she turned, Calypso suddenly caught sight of a pinprick of yellow light ahead and carefully moved toward it. The closer she came, the more the silence began to give way to a clash of noise that scraped against her eardrums.

Staggering to the pinprick of light, she realised she was in the crossroads between three separate tunnels. There seemed to be light coming from two of the tunnels, the one behind her still pitch black and silent as the grave. The shortest tunnel to her right was cramped and chilly but the light was strongest. When she ducked her head inside and squinted to the end, she realised it opened up into an enormous space. Crawling further inside, Calypso swallowed nervously as the noise grew louder.

When she neared the end, Calypso could suddenly make out the screams and wails coming from around her, surrounding her and there, in the middle of the space, was a legion of giants and monsters revolving around a dark patch of earth that seemed to glimmer in the torch light around it.

This was Gaea's resting place, she realised, her stomach clenching as if frozen. She'd never felt such all-encompassing evil in her entire life and it simply made her more certain. This was the place she intended to rise from. Leo and his friends were destined to stop her _here. _

Calypso wanted to move closer, to understand why Gaea was showing her this but without meaning to, she crawled backwards on her hands and knees, scraping her palms in her haste to escape the tiny, narrow tunnel. When she finally made it out to the cross-section again, Calypso tried to breathe but she seemed to have brought the wailing and screeching back with her- it enveloped the space and she trembled with fear at the noise. "Be brave," she wished desperately, trying to muster enough courage to go back to that horrible cavern, to figure out why Gaea had decided to fill her dreams with such a horrific sight.

She had just managed to turn back to the tunnel on her right when a sudden blood-curdling howl stopped her in her tracks. She knew that sound- she'd never heard it before but she knew it, somehow in some strange way.

"Leo." She breathed, filled with terror.

_You could have kept him, granddaughter, _Gaea's voice was much stronger now, sounding almost human again and the sound startled her so badly, she flinched as though expecting to be struck down by the mere voice. If Calypso had been able to see her eyelids, she was willing to bet they would flicker as though preparing to open.

Another scream pierced through the dark, this time coming from the taller tunnel to her left and it sent a chill through her whole body, chewing on her bones with malicious fear.

"Leo?" she called, her voice growing desperate and terrified. She tried to ignore Gaea as she ran left, down the other tunnel. It was tall enough for her to ran through but still tight enough that she had to wriggled around the uneven walls, scraping against her bare arms and legs as she did. Another scream of pain wracked through the passageway; she thought she might've let out a choked yelp in response but it was hard to tell over the sound of her harsh breathing.

Her heart was racing in a thudding tempo that drowned out the monsters wailing behind her but there was a new noise coming from up ahead, a roaring-rushing-spilling-cracking-crumbling kind of sound that filled her with dread. "Leo,_ where are you?_"

Up ahead, the tunnel widened into another cavern, lit from an unknown source and this one was smaller and _thankfully _empty but-

_Oh gods._

The ceiling was giving way, thousands of tonnes of rocks and dirt collapsing into an enormous pile in the middle of the chamber. But it wasn't fear for herself that made Calypso's chest contract tightly. She gasped and sprinted forward, her arms scraping the jagged cave walls as she moved through the narrow passage.

Amongst the cascade of earth, a familiar hand was outstretched toward her.

_You could have saved him from this fate. _Gaea added, ever present in her ear.

"No," she whispered in a strangled voice, racing forward. She was just about to reach him when the hand began to twitch and claw frantically. She sank to her knees beside the mountain of dirt, nails clawing through the soil but no amount of digging seemed to move the earth suffocating Leo Valdez. "No, stop it. _Stop it._ This isn't real."

_You should have killed him when I gave you the chance. _The Earth Mother said, spitefully. _It would have been a kinder death than this suffering…_

"This is not real. This is an illusion, you trick me Gaea, _you trick me!_" Calypso found herself chanting as she dug wildly.

_Then why can you not stop digging, child?_

Suddenly, Leo's hand, calloused and dirt encrusted, went still.

Calypso woke up screaming, her sheets torn from her clawed fingers and wet with her tears.

She performed the banishing spell with a sense of rage and fear and anxiety but she still did not sleep again for a week after the new moon passed. Gaea left her dreams. But the image of Leo's cold dead fingers reaching out for her from beneath a mountain of earth did not.

* * *

**(A/N: Buahahaha. Future or another illusion, what do you think?**

**Guest review time! Sorry they're a bit long this week :(**

_Talia_**: OMG that's the nicest compliment to give a ff-author, THANKYOU. I'm glad you find this story fits with the original plot, I've been trying to give it the same style as Riordan's books. Also, I make updates to remind myself to update this story too on Mondays and Fridays. It makes me go 8D Anyway. Thanks, I think the job training went alright. I hope. Whatever, it's done. As for when Leo comes back to Ogygia? Well, I'm thinking chapter twenty or twenty-one if everything goes smoothly. FINGERS CROSSED and thanks for reading!**

_Goddess Timtam_**: Hello again! Me thinks you are very sweet but no, it's not Uncle Rick. Just an incredibly over-imaginative university student from down under ;) Calypso is a breed of goddess I'm calling 'Titan's child' because she's not really a Titaness but she's as old (if not older) than some of the Olympians so she's kind of in a class of her own, I think. Also: I AM NOW FAVOURITE, ANY WHO CHALLENGE ME WILL FEEL MY WRATH- well actually, I'll probably just cower weakly in the corner of any fight whatsoever but that's not the point. Thank you for taking a minute to review and I hope you liked chapter seventeen :D**

_Z_**: Hi! I'm glad Calypso comes across as suitably conflicted: I really wanted to play up her bond with island and how she's simultaneously wishing her little fits of 'madness' are real but is also trying not to hope for more. And they're probably a little awkward because originally, this chapter was three pages and then I went on a rewrite-frenzy and added another three pages in different places, so half was written last week and half was written last night and they don't mesh fantastically, I admit. Anyway, thank you for your good wishes, I think the training went okay but it was really nice to have people wishing me luck. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy seventeen!**

_Pandalover1994_**: They are certainly adorable aren't they? Percabeth comes first, of course, but I like Caleo a teeny bit more than Jasiper which are my top three. I typically update on Mondays and Fridays if that helps so I hope you liked chapter seventeen and I'll see you at the end of the week! Thanks for reading :D**

_Ilovethisfanfic_**: Awww, I like that image. And Leo would apprentice young demigods who need work and when Calypso comes to visit the garage, they'd all wolf-whistle because Leo gets all excited and grins madly when he kisses her hello but secretly, they really like their boss's girlfriend and might be just a teeny bit jealous of how happy they seem together- oh my god, I need this to happen in Blood of Olympus. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed chapter seventeen!**

_Aquadrop: _**No dying! At least not until Leo comes back which will be soon. I hope. Sorry about the late update, today got hectic out of nowhere D: Awww, thanks for recommending it and for taking a minute to review. Hope you liked chapter seventeen :D**

**Alrighty guys, that's it for this update, have a WONDERFUL WEEK and I'll update on FRIDAY!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: OMG GUYS WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING AGAIN! Anyone who needs a refresher course should double back to chapter FIVE okay?**

**Sorry this is late, just got back from a ballet concert (Peter Pan for anyone who's interested, it was actually phenomenal, Tinkerbell's feet barely touched the ground I swear) but here we are: UPDATE!**

**See? It was an ILLUSION guys, all is well, don't stress, this is a strict Caleo zone, promise.**

**Happy Friday and I'll see you on MONDAY!**

**Thanks for reading guys ;)**

**Shy x.)**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

The first time Leo set forth on a quest by himself, Chiron came to see him the night before with a solemn expression and cryptic advice that Leo was beginning to think centaurs were known for.

He was putting the finishing touches on Festus, making sure his supplies were packed in tightly with a load of food, rope, weapons and anything else Leo thought he might possibly need. His friends had left for the night, telling him that they would see him tomorrow to wish him well and he was alone in Bunker Nine with a cleaning rag and some Monster Repellent that Connor had given him from the camp store. He had his doubts about the concoction and its effectiveness but Tyson had started giving the dragon a wide berth since he applied the first layer so he figured it couldn't hurt.

"One more night buddy and then we're off." Leo muttered to the dragon who expelled steam from his nose in pleasure. "I know, I want to get going too. She's waiting for us."

The dragon automaton had spent most of his rebuild listening to Leo talk about Calypso when they were alone, about Ogygia, what it looked like, felt like, where he thought it might located. Leo knew Festus was a machine but since Piper had revived him with charmspeak, he seemed to be a little more…vibrant than previously. Leo was sure that his talk would help Festus find the phantom island.

The astrolabe had been tricky to rewire because it was custom built by a guy who had been long dead by the time GPS was invented but it came together nicely. Leo had shaved piece by piece off the crystal until it fit perfectly in the gap of the astrolabe. The white stone now pulsed with an eerie sort of glow and the device occasionally hummed like it was eager to set sail, so to speak.

Festus sent more steam out his nostrils and Leo nodded, absently. "I know. It was close there for a while, huh?"

The council had decreed that as they were indeed bound by their oath to Percy on the River Styx, Calypso would be released from her curse though they were vague about the when and how. When Hermes arrived, he'd been in full favour of letting Leo find Ogygia and bring Calypso back though Hera had pointed out that the curse magic was incredibly strong...

* * *

"_We cannot simply unbind it for her." She stated, plainly. "It must be broken. The terms of her imprisonment have been interwoven over a long age."_

"_Broken how?" Leo had argued._

"_By you." Hera replied, her steely eyes thoughtful. "If you find Ogygia, hero, then we will revisit the issue."_

"_I agree." Demeter supplied. "If he finds the island twice then he will have broken half the curse anyway."_

"_Only a god can send a hero to Ogygia, Demeter." Hephaestus had grumbled but Zeus seemed not to hear the words._

"_Then it is done!" he boomed, electricity crackling through his beard. "Leo Valdez, if you can find the phantom island, we will release Calypso from Ogygia's curse."_

"_With a few conditions, of course." Hera added, mysteriously._

"_Oh, this is much better than I thought!" Aphrodite sighed, dreamily. "A valiant quest to earn the lady's love! Oh yes, this will do quite well I think."_

"_Hang on a minute-" Leo began, hotly but Zeus clapped his hands and suddenly Leo was back in Bunker Nine, questions about Hera's stupid conditions still on the tip of his tongue._

* * *

The clip clop of hooves broke him out of his concentration. "He is quite a masterpiece." Chiron admired, studying Festus' still form. Leo had yet to connect head to body for the sole reason that he didn't want to lose the dragon and waste time looking for him in the woods. "You should be proud of yourself."

"When he makes the journey, I'll gloat for a week." Leo said. "I'll make one of those bumper stickers that say _My Dragon Goes to Ogygia and Back!_ like a proud papa."

Chiron chuckled. "I'm sure you will. Leo, I must ask how you intend to land on Ogygia?"

Leo shrugged and gestured to the humming astrolabe and glowing crystal. "The crystal has a magnetic field that draws it to the island and Odysseus' astrolabe is designed to use that field to form directions that then allow Festus to organise into a flight path." He explained, basically.

The centaur nodded, thoughtfully. "It sounds quite steady."

"It is." Leo admitted, proudly. _I'm hearing a but…_

"But Ogygia is encased in godly magic." Chiron said, his face taking on a solemn look. "It is bound by ancient rules."

_Ah, there it is._

"I know, I know." Leo grumbled, setting his Monster Repellent down and climbing on top of Festus to screw in a stray wire. "No man ever finds it twice, _yada yada_. I'm _gonna _do it."

"I have no doubt you will." Chiron replied, steadily. "But you should keep in mind that Ogygia's rules extend beyond its phantom nature."

"What does that mean?" Leo moaned, sick of mysterious suggestions. "Can anyone around here just talk normally?"

"Think it over, Leo. It'll come to you." With that, Chiron left the workspace and Leo was left to wonder yet again what any of it meant.

* * *

Jason looked unhappy as Leo did his last supply check. "I still think we should go with you." He muttered as Leo checked over Festus from head to tail. Every part of him was functioning correctly and Festus had had the morning to get used to his new body. He seemed to like it.

"Are you kidding?" Leo mocked. "If you come along, she'll take one look and toss me to the curb."

"Very funny." Piper deadpanned as she hugged her friend tightly. "Just go bring her back, Leo."

Frank and Hazel were there as well, the pair of them looking vaguely curious about the dragon which they'd never seen as a whole until now. "So you're going to fly...where?" Hazel asked as Festus blew steam at the group, playfully.

Leo patted the mechanical monster's thick neck. "He'll tell me where." He said, confident in Festus' new guidance systems. Both Percy and Annabeth looked uncertain but said nothing, silently supportive.

"Sure." Frank said, watching the dragon with wary eyes. "If you need help-"

"I won't." Leo cut in, smirking. "Festus has a brand new weapons system and his motor function is increased to 200%. He'll be able to fight off anything we come across and if not, we'll fly well out of the way."

"But if you do," Frank pressed. "Send us a message. Don't be stupid Valdez."

"Ye of little faith." He muttered but he appreciated the unspoken support.

"Leo?" Piper said, gesturing to her right with a tilt of her head. Leo followed her away from the group slightly.

"What's up Beauty Queen?" he said, smiling.

Piper returned it with a small smile of her own but she looked concerned. "Leo, I don't want you to think I'm trying to tell you not to go but- look, from the sounds of things, this is a pretty serious curse."

His smile turned down at the edges a little. "It's just a curse, Pipes. We've handled them before."

"Yes but those were curses the gods _wanted _us to solve." She pointed out, gently. "And you're alone this time."

"I'll be fine." He stressed.

"You'd better be," she said with a threatening note in her tone. "I just want to make sure you're prepared."

"Prepared for what?" he mumbled, warily.

Her pretty swirling gaze turned sad. "Leo, the gods could still say no."

"They promised." He said, simply. "And they said they'd 'reconsider' the matter when I reach Ogygia. You're worrying too much Piper."

"Maybe." She accepted, ruefully. "Probably. You're my friend and you're one of the smartest, craziest, damn _stubborn _people I know. I'm probably being paranoid. But be careful okay? This is complicated and weird and the fact that _my_ mom mentioned the words _valiant _and _quest _during that meeting doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence."

"I thought your mom liked me." Leo complained, but he was trying hard to keep the conversation light. He had to get back to Calypso. He had to find Ogygia and set her free. He had to figure out what those last seconds on the beach with the fire light in her hair and the feel of her mouth against his meant.

Piper grimaced and hugged him tightly. "She does like you. That's the point. I'm just saying be careful, _please._"

Leo wrapped his arms around Piper's shoulders and thought back to the day they'd met at Wilderness School where he thought she was pretty much the most awesome, perfect girl he'd ever laid eyes on.

Of course, he thought that about almost every girl but it was different with Piper McLean. Standing in front of her now, she was still awesome and perfect. She was one of his best friends, a piece of his little homemade, demigod family. Piper was looking out for him.

But he couldn't promise her he'd be careful, not when that meant accepting in some small place that things might go wrong.

This was a quest riddled with _so _many what-ifs and potential catastrophes that thinking it might not work out was like inviting the situation to worsen. And Leo refused to do it. Not only because of his oath which even now sat heavy across his shoulders and seemed coiled around his throat. But because it wouldn't be fair to him or the girl he left on the beach and more than anyone, Leo wanted this to be fair for her.

He couldn't afford to accept the worse possibility. Every part of him surged forth instead, humming with energy and the back of his head was whispering in his ear that _he was going to see her again, he was going to see her turn red with irritation, he would get to hear the sound of her voice even if it was yelling at him, wrap her in a hug until he was sure she wasn't another of his daydreams, until he was absolutely positive she was real and alive and kicking-_

Now he had to go find his own awesome, perfect, irritating as hell girl, all on his own.

"I'm gonna find her, Pipes." He said instead, half-smiling with a hint of mischief written in his dark eyes. "You just wait. I think you'll get along."

"She thinks you're utterly crazy and sort of ridiculous right?" Piper shot back, pushing him back towards the group. "Of course we're going to get along."

With that, he scrambled up the side of the dragon and took his place on Festus' back. "I'll be back soon. Hopefully." He added in an undertone as he waved goodbye to his friends. "C'mon buddy, let's go." He told the dragon and with a single beat of his huge wings, the automaton burst into the air, soaring high above the Camp.

Leo waved once more and thought he spotted Chiron saluting him in the distance but before he could look again, the crystal pulsed brightly from the back of Festus' skull. The astrolabe's ring trembled and suddenly went still, anchored to a single direction while the guidance system analysed the information. The dragon's head swung to the east like a bloodhound picking up a scent and without another moment, they took off across New York.

* * *

Even with Festus' extra engine capacity, Leo didn't want to press the dragon any further than was necessary so the journey was slow. They took the ocean route across the Atlantic which didn't provide much of a chance for rest stops but every now and then they'd spot some tiny spit of island and Leo would rest while Festus' solar charges regenerated.

He felt like he might explode with all the thoughts and ideas and fears racing beneath his skin but he did his absolute best to push them away and focus on the problems at hand.

After a solid day of travel, Leo passed over Casablanca in Morocco and the ground below him suddenly lit up in golden bursts, the opposite of the dark, slick ocean he'd grown used to. He decided against trying to land in the city. It looked crowded and far too populated for his liking so he took Festus a little further inland to hide for the night. The city slipped away into a patchwork quilt of red striped earth, farming stations and the occasional smattering of lush green crops.

Leo continued further, making sure he was far enough away that he couldn't be spotted by any accidental gazes, even this late at night. He didn't _really _feel like trying to get a hotel room or rent a bed somewhere in another language so he camped, sleeping against Festus' side with the same bed roll Calypso had provided.

He struck up a small fire, confident that no one would come looking for them on the edges of the city. The unfortunate thing about going on a quest alone was that there was really no one to talk to keep boredom and distraction at bay.

Unable to really relax, Leo finally relinquished hold of his thoughts and they shot off in different directions around his head. Questions like how Festus was doing after his (second) maiden voyage, how the guys were doing back at camp, how the astrolabe was coping with the new guidance system, memories of building the system in the echoed centre of Bunker Nine and one sort of similar to it on a white beach with glittering waves and scrutinizing supervision- all of it bounced against the inside of his skull, fuelled by the rush of finally setting off after so many weeks of work.

As the evening fell into night, Leo dug into his food supplies and tried to calm down a little more- Annabeth had taught him strategies for dealing with his distracted attention span, using the infamous focus Athena's kids were so good at. He tried to answer each question or address each thought one at a time and let the rest go until only the _really_ persistent worries remained.

For Leo, those worries alternated between Hera's mysterious conditions, Chiron's advice and the look in Calypso's eyes when he left. Piper's words revolved intermittently, especially her mention of Aphrodite liking him. It replayed over and over, alongside Percy's off-handed mention of the love goddess and how she'd once promised to make things 'interesting' for him.

Leo really, _really _hoped Aphrodite was going to go easy on him, but then again, she'd also once said he wasn't her first choice for Calypso anyway.

The horrible thought hit him as the campfire began to draw low. "Please don't let her have another hero already." He murmured aloud, glancing up at the bright stars overhead. _Please don't let her have forgotten me already._

He knew it was in his head but for a moment he thought he could smell sharp cinnamon on the wind, like a snappy reply straight from Ogygia. Leo grinned absently at the thought and pushed the idea of a (strongertougherhandsome_better_) hero out of his mind. _Calypso is waiting for me. _He repeated, the mantra taking on new meaning now that he was on his way._ And I'm coming._

Instead, Leo tried to think of what would happen when (not if, when) he arrived on Ogygia's soft sandy beaches. Would she be grateful? Did she think he would return? What if it was simply her curse that made her like him? What if she decided she hated him again when it broke? More terrifyingly, what if she didn't?

Would she want to live at Camp Half-Blood with him? Would his friends like her? What if she didn't like them? What if she saw Percy again and realised she still had feelings for him?

The questions were relentless as they buzzed around his head. He thought of Annabeth telling him to focus on an answer and an unlikely image suddenly drowned out the buzzing: a wooden raft appearing on the waves, gently bobbing against the beach. Rafts only appeared for heroes Calypso fell in love with. Regardless of what might have happened since or before, at one point, for a space of time, Calypso had loved him.

Which meant, however small, he had a chance that no other had ever had. Other heroes could come and go but they'd never returned because they weren't him. They didn't have an astrolabe or the crystal key or a mechanical dragon permanently awakened by charmspeak. They didn't have his tenacity or skill. They weren't as persistent and they didn't like (_love?) _her as much as he did because they hadn't tried as hard as he was trying.

He was going to succeed where every other had failed. "Calypso's waiting for me," he told himself, drowsily as the night grew long. "And I'm coming." Leo fell asleep with a grin on his face and the memory of her in her red Greek _chiton, _hands on her hips and yelling at him, in his head.

* * *

**A/N: So…what do you think?**

**Small Bob: My update schedule is Mondays and Fridays if that helps, this is just a teensy bit late :D really glad you liked it and no, this is a strict Caleo-Only zone, don't even worry. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reading!**

**Z: Seriously? Cause the fandom hates Gaea an awful lot. You are stinking amazing and thankyou for taking a second to review :D There were probably more typos because I rushed to post it, similar to what I'm doing this chapter too. If you see any seriously obvious ones, please point them out to me, they'll drive me crazy til I find them all. Anyway, thank you for reading!**

**Cecld: Gaea is so **_**so so **_**evil, she needs to be annihilated in Blood of Olympus immediately. I kind of gloss over her defeat- this chapter goes back to where it dropped off in chapter five so it's like an enormous flashback- and now we're in a nice post-war world where Leo is off to find Ogygia. Again. Anyway, hope you like chapter eighteen and thanks for reading :D**

**Tara Luna Apple: Here you go, more UPDATE :D Thanks for taking a minute to review!**

**Ilovethisfanfic: Aww, don't cry, here have some- well, not happy Leo, but determined-very-very-eager Leo :) I would be **_**so **_**pissed if Uncle Rick kills of Leo. Words would not adequately express my rage and frustration. Anyway. Happy Friday and thanks for reading!**

**Guest: thanks, happy Friday!**

**Winonabcd: FALSE ALARM it was an illusion, Leo is safe and off to go find Calypso, promise. Settle yourself, find the proper sentences and enjoy this chapter, it's less…nerve-wracking than the last one. THANK YOU FOR READING, WONDERFUL REVIEWER :D**

**Fluff-is-awesome: Okay, so I keep forgetting you don't have PMing so here's my response to your last review, sorry it's a bit late :( : You wonderful reviewer, seriously, I love reading your messages they make my freaking day! I really loved responding to reviews, it makes me feel like I'm having a conversation over the week even if keeping up with all of you guys is a touch tricky. I will PERSERVERE AND FIND A WAY I PROMISE! Anyway, I usually just hear something or read something and if I'm dissatisfied with how it's portrayed or explained by the author, I like expanding on little details others ignore. I agree, it's like seeing the scene in your head, I just kind of tweak it until I feel comfortable with it and then I try to write it down in a style that feels right. That sounds ridiculous I know but it's really just how I've practised on this site so far. I read a bit of other fics but I guess I try to keep from imitating others so I tend to ok up **_**a lot **_**of fanart on Tumblr. I think there's a lot of scenes and ideas that the Caleo fandom experiences commonly and that's why there's a bit of overlap between other stories in this one. I'm just way too obsessed with writing it all out and editing and editing and editing and posting it on this site. Anyway, I'm so glad you like it and I'm sorry this reply is a bit late, your review was actually **_**lovely **_**thank you. Hope you like chapter eighteen and HAPPY FRIDAY!**

***deep breath* Alright, on to the next chapter on MONDAY, thanks for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing, you are all stars in my Caleo-fandom-sky.**

**Shy**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: HELLO EVERYONE HAPPY MONDAY!**

**Hope everyone's having fun getting ready for the holidays (whether that be Christmas or any other fantastic holiday season) Me personally, well, I'm preparing for Christmas so I'm stuck trying to force my little sister to pay for her half of the presents (always a gargantuan effort) and I've gone into a wrapping frenzy so all the gifts are **_**beautifully **_**wrapped and colour coordinated with each other and the ribbon. Seriously, my new job plays carols all day over the radio and I think they've infected my brain. Blech.**

**Anyway, thanks to the ****overwhelming**** response to last chapter, you guys are actually incredible and I love you all with the force of virtual bear hugs.**

**Random question: **_**DO YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE CALYPSO AND LEO ON AN ACTUAL QUEST? **_**I'm very curious.**

**Much love and reluctant Christmas/holiday spirit,**

**Shy x.**

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**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

The first time Leo realised _maybe _having friends along wouldn't have been such a bad idea, it was while he face down a pissed off skyscraper with a frilled neck.

The next day was much the same though Leo decided to let Festus test out his speed, the dragon still on the course set by the whirring astrolabe that tilted and jostled every now and then as if recalibrating.

Every so often, Festus would swerve and follow a completely new course as though the island had moved to the point where Leo wondered if maybe it did jump around the Mediterranean at times. For now, Festus seemed set to follow a course over Tunisia to south of Crete but who knew when that would change.

He was catching a tiny bit of shuteye (seriously, riding a metal dragon for days at a time was _hard work_) when the first low moan echoed from the waters below.

He frowned, blinking when he realised Festus had drifted close to the water. "What's up, buddy?" he grumbled with a yawn but the dragon remained silent save for a small growl.

Another long moan, like a whale song rippled out over the ocean. It made Leo wary and he sat up, resetting Festus' configuration to aim for a higher altitude. From what he could tell, they were in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, heading due east towards Greece.

He was so consumed with resetting the dragon that he almost didn't see the enormous glowing yellow eyes peering up from the waves.

The water trembled and the eyes disappeared, leaving Leo drawing out his hammer apprehensively. No sooner had he removed it than the water exploded beside him.

A long dark column came flying up from the depths, spraying him with cold, sharp raindrops. Leo covered his head and peeked up through the spray, searching for an end to the shape that now cast Festus into its shadow.

The enormous figure was covered in thick black scales, each the size of a sedan and gleaming with a rainbow-like sheen like spilled oil. The water poured onward as the column continued to rise, squirting seawater into his eyes and obscuring his vision. Even so, Leo could see some kind of pointed fin sprouting from the other side of it and as his gaze flew up to the top of the enormous shape, he could suddenly see a stumpy, narrow head topped by the glowing yellow gaze and a large crevice of mouth filled with jagged teeth.

"WHOA!" Leo bellowed, making Festus swerve to the right to avoid the creature as the water fell away revealing a kind of thick, undulating sea snake the size of a skyscraper which moaned again like a whale and surged towards him. "RIGHT! _RIGHT FESTUS, FLY RIGHT!_"

The dragon obeyed, ducking out of range right as the creature dove again, its ferocious stare reminding him of an eel's as it locked on to him. Its eyeballs alone had to be twice the size of the Big House back at camp but somehow the sheer size of it was impossible to really comprehend.

"What the hell do people _put _in the water around here?!" Leo complained, loudly as he directed Festus to fly straight up to the creature's head. First rule of fighting monsters was to figure out what it was, although Leo desperately wanted to fly straight past the creature and leave it wailing by itself. His courage failing, one hand shook as he grappled with the hammer and the other began to heat up frantically until it was covered with a thin layer of golden flames.

Leo tried to get a good look at the creature but Festus wasn't stupid enough to get close, not when the beast kept trying to charge at the bronze dragon, jaws snapping and bellowing in a long drawn out cry that made his ears throb. He remembered hearing Percy explaining about something his father had said back at camp. About how Gaea's near awakening and subsequent defeat had scared off the land monsters but the sea monsters were all riled up.

Of course Leo would find one on his first solo quest.

"C'mon!" Leo wailed as it dove towards them again, making the pair rear backwards. The dragon spun away in a roll that made his demigod passenger clutch tight to his neck and managed to escape the attack. As it drew back, Festus let loose a fierce jet of flames from his jaws, making the creature rear back in pain with a louder, deeper moan. This was all Gaea's fault. Damn Dirt Face. "She's buried back in her hole for another million years and she's _still _messing with me!"

"_GRAWWWWWW!" _the monster growled in response as it cracked its jaws a hairs breadth away from Festus' tail. It was an agile sucker and Leo had the sickening suspicion that if he flew away on Festus, it would simply follow after them. He wondered if Ogygia's natural borders would defend against evil scaly skyscrapers with bad tempers.

He sent a blast of crimson flames when Festus drew closer enough and it howled in pain but when it dove for him a second later, Leo was nearly crushed between its rows of razor fangs. Only a quick dive from Festus kept him alive and even then, he got the impression that he'd only really managed to piss it off even more. A sail-like ring-shaped fin around its neck rose and quivered like a threatened rattle-snake.

The creature was bigger than anything he'd ever come across. Not even the giants or the Titans he'd faced were as large as the eel-like creature who locked its yellow gaze on him and wailed in fury. Its throat gurgled and suddenly a jet of hot, sticky liquid spewed from its jaws, gushing an unhealthy looking green. Out of instinct, Leo lifted his hands and a wide arc of fire burst from his fingertips. The water hissed as it came into contact with the fire, evaporating into a fine mist, which parted around him. Leo urged Festus to duck out of the way but the dragon's tail was tagged by a few spare drops of green spray. As he watched, the droplets began to eat away at the metal, leaving tiny jagged holes in the bronze.

"Acid." He deduced, shaking his head angrily although his arms trembled. "REALLY?!" he bellowed, incredulous, completely frustrated and somewhat terrified.

Leo was out of his depth and he knew it. Out on the open water, land was far away and there was no way to hide or regroup or buy enough time to create a solution. He needed Annabeth's brain or Piper's mythology knowledge, something to figure out what this thing was or how to beat it. He needed Percy's skill with water or even the ability to zap the sucker with a bolt of lightning like Jason. He needed to be able to turn huge like Frank or conjure a distraction with the Mist like Hazel.

He and Festus could launch fire attacks at this monster all damn day but he'd probably get his head snapped off in the process. What Leo needed was his friends to have his back.

_You're alone, you stupid demigod, _his brain howled. _Concentrate. Focus. You have to get away. You have to keep going._

As if realising the absolute worst time to make itself known, the weight of his Stygian oath suddenly bore down on his shoulders and crept into his chest, wrapping itself around his spine like a parasite. _The Styx never forgets, _it seemed to whisper even as his ear drums were assaulted by the howling of the creature and the deafening splashing of waves as it moved about the frothy sea.

The beast moaned again and looked ready to puke some more crazy acid water on him but Leo steered Festus in a loop around its enormous head to distract it while he concentrated. He tried to remember the lessons of Monsters and Beasts from Camp but answer to the very first question was evading him: _What is the creature?_

"Think Leo, think…" he muttered, studying the creature's thick scales. "What _is _it?" It looked like an enormous ugly snake but nothing about it truly stood out except for the enormous fins on the side of its face and the frill around its neck that stood up like a Frilled Neck Lizard-

"The fins…" he realised, the name coming slowly as Festus let loose more fire and ducked low around the creature's underbelly though that was armoured as well. "It's like a sea snake…or a sea dragon…"

The story leapt to his head- of a princess who was sacrificed to the sea after her mother proclaimed her more beautiful than the gods themselves, of how a hero had freed her from being eaten by a fearsome sea kraken called-

"Ketos!" Leo called out, momentarily distracted by his triumph. "You're Ketos!" The sea dragon growled in response, its fearsome jaws spread wide and his breath a mist of foul smelling air in Leo's face. From between his fangs, the smell originated from scraps of pink flesh, jagged tips of spears, possible a broken ship or two. "Dude," he coughed, gagging. "You have_ got _to start flossing."

Again Ketos dove for the automaton and its rider and this time, Leo had to let loose an explosion of flames to keep it from swallowing them whole. It didn't deter it for long. The gurgling noise came back and Leo didn't escape the acid mouthwash a second time. The poisonous rainfall caught a few drops on his arm. The reaction was immediate, letting loose a stinging pain that raced through his veins and causing enormous sickly green, pus-filled welts to his skin. Whenever they brushed against Festus or his shirt, it felt like someone was clawing the flesh from his ulna.

In a strange way, the pain was almost helpful. The sharp sting suddenly brought every single part of the situation into focus for him, turning everything almost painfully clear. The tight hold of his oath on his spine, the anxious flop of his stomach, the stench of seawater and rotting flesh and the smooth hum of Festus' machinery beneath him- all of it was suddenly sharp and explosive against his senses.

Ketos howled angrily and Leo realised that as long as it was looming over him, it had the advantaged and would be impossible to attack anyway. He had to bring it down, at least to the water surface. Then he could figure out his next plan.

Leo thanked the gods the stinging poison was confined to his non-dominant arm and in the face of everything else going on, the adrenaline made it easier to push the pain to the back of his mind for the time being. "How did he kill you…?" Leo muttered through gritted teeth, his mind racing as he grabbed for the rope and grapple hook from his tool belt.

His mind immediately thought of the traditional story: Ketos had been defeated by Medusa's head which the original Perseus had sliced off earlier in his adventures. _Busy guy,_ Leo thought errantly but immediately tried to focus.

He didn't have a gorgon head so he'd better hope that wasn't the answer.

"The mouth, aim for the mouth!" Leo shouted, hoping the acid hadn't damaged Festus' communication and command modules. He steered Festus forward, leaning close to the bronze dragon's head to keep from being thrown off as the automaton ducked and spun, diving wildly as they neared the enormous creature's jaws. Leo's hands shook as he began to swing the grappling hook like a lasso on the end of the rope but he waited until he was _just _close enough to see the back of its throat, slick dark grey flesh hidden behind row after row of knife-like teeth like a shark's. He was about to try to launch the hook but his hands faltered, shaking too badly to aim the hook properly.

Realising how close Leo was to its jaws, Ketos obviously saw its opportunity and reared forwards, spreading its mouth wide and for a second, Leo thought he was absolutely done for. With the glinting jaws looming over him, his brain went wild as it spat out all the things he'd never get to do. There would be no sixteenth birthday, no reunion at Camp Half-Blood. He'd never get to hang out with his half-siblings or annoy the living daylights out of his best friends ever again. Screw Ogygia, he'd never even make it across Tunisia. Calypso would wait on her island forever and think he was just like every other stupid heroic jerk who left her empty promises-

His resolve suddenly hardened and Leo's hands stopped shaking in a single moment.

No way in Hades was he going to die having kissed that infuriating, stuck up, _wonderful _goddess just _once._

With a hefty swing, he launched the grappling hook into the beast's mouth and it sailed through the air in a smooth arc. Leo almost didn't want to look but miraculously, the hook caught on a jagged tooth and the moment the rope began taunt, Festus swooped downwards toward the water, escaping death yet again. Leo was going to have to come up with an _enormous _thank you present for his favourite mechanical flying friend.

Whereas he'd previously hesitated, Leo could now feel the adrenaline flowing freely through his veins, quickening his every action and thought. He looped the rope around Festus' neck and tied it off in a split second, forcing Ketos to follow Festus' trail, plunging down toward the bright blue ocean right as the answer came to Leo.

In most stories, Perseus used Medusa's head. In one, however, he found the monster's weak spot on the back of its neck and managed to pierce it deep enough to kill it.

It wasn't much. Miniscule, really.

But it would have to do.

Just before Festus hit the water, Leo untied the rope and steered the dragon in an enormous loop upwards as the momentum continued to pull the creature down towards the ocean. Leo had exactly one _teeny tiny itty bitty _chance but with the intoxicating mix of stinging clarity and rushing adrenaline flooding his system, his eyes were drawn towards a spot where the creature's enormous dorsal fin melted into the flared collar around its throat. The dark oily scale there was dented ever so slightly, a ripple in Ketos' slick impenetrable armour.

Leo held his hammer high before letting it smash down on what he prayed to the gods was the weak spot Perseus had once used millennia ago.

Ketos' response was immediate. It howled at a higher pitch than anything Leo had heard it make previously and arched itself backwards and away, crashing down into the water like a humpback whale falling on its back.

It sank down into the water and Leo breathed hard until the yellow glowing eyes disappeared into the ocean again. Not dead but unwilling to keep fighting.

On another day, with his friends' help, maybe a little of Percy's water mojo and a kick ass plan from Annabeth, Leo would've tried to destroy it, send it to Tartarus where it couldn't hurt anyone but as it was, he felt clammy and exhausted from wrestling with the enormous creature.

The thought made him pause, just for a moment. If he had his friends, he would go after the sea monster. But he didn't have his friends. He was alone with Festus in the middle of a region that had actively tried to kill him last time he was there. If he'd died, what would have happened? Would his friends ever know? Or would they assume he'd chosen to stay on Ogygia with Calypso and live an immortal life? Would Calypso ever know that he had tried to get to her? He had pictured her waiting on her beach, thinking he had lied to her. Would she feel betrayed? Or would she just think it was inevitable? Percy had explained parts of Tartarus to Leo. Would Calypso curse him like she'd cursed Annabeth?

Even as the weight of his oath on the Styx began to recede from his spine, back to its ever-present weight on his shoulders, it seemed to have grown even heavier than usual. He grimly realised the oath would either have him reach her and fulfil his promise or have him dead. Those were Leo's only options right now.

His body was trembling with the leftover battle-high but strangely, the weird pain-induced clarity to his vision was melting away. When he glanced down at his welt-covered arm, he realised he could barely move it. His arm was going numb but Leo decided he preferred it to the feeling of flesh ripping from his bones.

"Come on Festus," he breathed, wiping the sweat from his forehead as the crystal glowed again and Festus reset his course north, towards Sicily off the coast of Italy. "We're almost there."

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**A/N: No Calypso **_**this **_**chapter but hang in there, she'll appear eventually. And Ketos' reappearance **_**does **_**serve a purpose, I promise. I think. Maybe. Whatever.**

**Guest review time!**

**Tara Luna Apple: Agreed, Aphrodite is also goddess of fangirls, in my opinion but seriously, she needs to stop messing around with these two. Glad you liked it :D**

**Guest: He'll get there! Eventually! There's still all the hoops, 'conditions' and obstacles the gods want him to jump through yet and I have to encourage his character **_**not **_**to set fire to them instead. Glad you enjoyed chapter eighteen!**

**Z: GAAAAaaaaAaaaaAaaaAaaaa! When you leave me lovely reviews like this, I imitate a whale with my fangirl squealing THANKYOU! Don't worry, (most of) the gods' plan will become clear in the next chapter I think. Hope you liked nineteen as well!**

**Ilovethisfanfic: Awwww, thanks! Chiron is a stubborn old centaur, there's no way in hades is just gonna come out and say what he means *sighs* But (most of) the gods' plans become clear next chapter. I hope. THANKS FOR REVIEWING!**

**Daughter of Zeus: I LOVE YOU TOO DON'T CRY FRIEND! Here's some nice, fearsome angry Leo for you! They'll get together soon I ****promise**** hope. Thanks for taking a second to review :D**

**On: That's a very sensible reading strategy, I tend to go nuts and spend hours past midnight reading, silly Shy. And yes, Caleo is a worthy OTP that **_**really needs to get together in Blood of Olympus, like **__**seriously. **_**Anyway, thankyou for reviewing and I will endeavour to remain fluffy friend!**

**Cecld: THANKYOU FOR REVIEWING :)**

**Guest: Geeking in process. And now we're full circle! Everything from here on out is my own work, so enjoy!**

**Pikapixie (is that a reference to Pokemon?): I don't actually go into detail as to how Gaea was defeated in this story (only that she was) but you're right, Gaea's been shuffling around the truth she sends to Calypso. Glad you're enjoying how it's coming together, it's one of my favourite parts of writing is weaving in the little pieces I leave in previous chapters :D THANKYOU FOR REVIEWING AND READING AND GENERALLY BEING WONDERFUL!**

**BLA: Sorry it was so late! I went out to the ballet for most of the night and then spent a couple of hours replying to reviews and posting the last chapter, hence why it was **_**so **_**late. I really should've picked days I'm not as busy on, honestly. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far (I like that we're back in present times as well, it's more fun writing new stuff than Calypso's POV of the book I think) and they will certainly get up to misadventures, I think. At least, that's what I'm planning. Thankyou for reading!**

**THANKYOU FOR READING GUYS I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER AND I SWEAR CALYPSO WILL BE...WELL, MAYBE NOT NEXT UPDATE BUT DEFINITELY THE UPDATE AFTER THAT!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey guys, Happy Friday! Hope you all had fabulous weeks. I apologise in advance for the shortness of this chapter but even with my rewriting it became difficult to try to lengthen it. Calypso and Caleo feels next chapter promise!**

**Also, because you were all so fantastic last chapter, new question: **_**WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO READ A CHRISTMAS FIRSTS SPECIAL IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS?**_

**I also have a small request, DO YOU GUYS MIND IF I'M LATE IN REPLYING TO YOUR LOVELY REVIEWS BECAUSE I'M A HORRIBLE SHIT? **

**Much love,  
Shy x.**

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**CHAPTER TWENTY**

The first time Festus told him he'd reached Ogygia, Leo cursed putting in that stupid pleasantly modulated GPS voice. It felt like it was mocking him.

It had been a day and a half since his run in with Ketos and Leo was exhausted, sunburnt, reeked of sweat and kraken acid spit, and the numbness in his arm was spreading up his shoulder. Needless to say, Festus' misfiring was not helping his mood.

"Festus!" he complained as the dragon circled an empty expanse of ocean. "There's nothing here!"

The automaton merely opened its mouth and "_You have arrived at your destination_" was all that came out.

"No I haven't." Leo muttered under his breath as he leaned forward to study the astrolabe and crystal which now shimmered a faint silver colour. "I want to go to Ogygia, not the middle of Zeus knows where!"

He double checked Festus' wiring for a kind of fault, steered him away from the spot in an attempt to recalibrate, even removed the crystal, wiped it off and replanted it but all Festus had to say on the matter was: _"You have arrived at your destination."_

Frustrated, Leo steered Festus upwards and let him hover in mid air while he thought over the problem. He'd tried fixing Festus but the astrolabe seemed to be quite sure that Ogygia was right below him. For a horrible moment, Leo wondered if this was where Odysseus had found Ogygia, if perhaps the astrolabe only took the user back to one of the many places Ogygia appeared.

But the crystal's silvery sheen was different to anything he'd seen, reminding him of the glow Calypso's cave took on at night more than anything else. No, the astrolabe, Festus _and _the crystal pointed to here.

"What am I missing?" he wondered aloud, rubbing the sweat from his eyes. He hated when things didn't work correctly but by all accounts, Festus was running fine. It must be something else.

He looked down at the waters below but there was not a shred of evidence to suggest Ogygia was there. No island, no crystal cave, certainly no Calypso. The water was a similar shade of blue to the island's bays but then again, all the bright blue water in the Mediterranean looked as though it had been altered by a computer.

"Come on buddy, what am I missing?" Leo repeated, frowning. He recalled Chiron's goodbye and his mystic advice.

_Ogygia is encased in godly magic. _Chiron had said. _It is bound by ancient rules. But you should keep in mind that Ogygia's rules extend beyond its phantom nature…_

"Godly magic, ancient rules…" Leo clawed his hair in exasperation. "I am so sick of god _palabrerío_!" he bellowed up at the sky but there was no response. "Okay, _okay. _Think Valdez, what are the rules of Ogygia?"

Calypso's curse was to stay trapped on the island. An island that disappeared and reappeared, an island that existed outside the rest of the world. Heroes in need of aid showed up from time to time and Calypso fell in love with all of them as she tended to them. When she did, a raft appeared, sailing the heroes away who would then never return.

He wracked his brain but the answer didn't seem obvious to him. In fact, his brain was starting to feel foggy and he wondered, drearily for a moment if Ketos' acid mouthwash might be affecting his concentration. The skin of his arm was getting worse. The pus-filled welts had begun to spread up to his elbow and the skin was bright red and swollen.

He shook it off. _Calypso is waiting for me. _He couldn't afford to waste tried recalling the notes Piper had helped make about Ogygia and Calypso and the mention of her in the Odyssey, Chiron's cryptic advice and his memories of Ogygia but nothing seemed to click.

Trying to focus, Leo concentrated on the Olympians secretive remarks in the Throne Room of Mount Olympus, which felt like it had happened eons ago rather than weeks. Immediately, his brain filled with unhelpful memories of the hidden mechanics inside the room's marble columns and Leo tried to shake it out. He fought to imagine Zeus' unamused expression, the wry spark of his dad's gaze, the coy twist of Hera's mouth, Aphrodite and her tinkling coo and Demeter's scrutinising stare.

_The terms of her imprisonment have been interwoven over a long age._

_If he finds the island twice then he will have broken half the curse anyway._

_Only a god can send a hero to Ogygia._

_Leo Valdez, if you can find the phantom island, we will release Calypso from Ogygia's curse._

_With a few conditions, of course._

_A valiant quest to earn his love! Oh yes, this will do quite well I think._

He mentally threw out Aphrodite's stupid remarks and ignored Hera's mention of conditions. They said Calypso's punishment had been interwoven over the years, like the separate parts had become all linked together. And Demeter said that just _finding _the island would break one half of the curse anyway.

Then his dad said-

Oh.

_Oh._

"You're kidding me right?" Leo called up at the skies with wide, stunned eyes. "_Right?"_ But there was no response.

Chiron's advice made more sense when Leo thought about what his father had mentioned. _Ogygia is bound by ancient rules. _The ancient rules being that only gods could send heroes to Ogygia. And not just any heroes.

_Heroes in need of aid._

"Oh great," he muttered, staring down at the water.

"Focus Valdez." He told himself, watching the ocean below. Ogygia was down there, he was now certain. Down there, hidden by the island's magic, Calypso was in her cave or on her beach or making a new goddamn dining table and he couldn't get to her because, by definition, he was not a hero in need of help and the gods had no reason to send him there.

"You know I _did _just fight off a skyscraper, you know! I could be _dying!_ Don't I _qualify_ yet?" he bellowed.

But there was no response. Mortally injured was apparently the requirement for the gods' attention and Leo was willing to bet it was Hera who needed him bleeding and half-dead to qualify instead of just flesh-eating-acid-spray. Leo wasn't sure if he should be ticked off or reassured that he wasn't about to die from the wound on his arm. Either way, he was apparently not a hero in need.

But he could be.

Leo knew then what he had to do but if he was wrong, he was likely to kill himself. "Dad, I hope you're watching this or we're gonna have a long talk when I reach Elysium." He told the air and in his imagination, the wind heated slightly in reply. Slowly but surely, he steered Festus upwards, higher and higher until he was above the clouds, the oxygen turning thin and hard to breathe. He estimated he was at about 30,000 feet, maybe a little higher. Definitely not Leo-friendly heights.

"Sorry Festus buddy," Leo apologised, sincerely as he reached forward and held is hand over the eject button next to Festus' control disk port. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pressed it and the disk popped out like a cheeky tongue sticking out from the back of the dragon's skull.

In a split second, Festus' wings froze, his whole body slumped-

Mechanic and dragon began to plummet from the sky.

First the clouds rushed up to meet him and Leo clung to Festus' bronze body, his hand hovering over the disk though it slipped and slid as the dragon began to spiral downwards as a blinding speed.

The wet mist of clouds brushed against his face and then the blue sky appeared again, reflected in the bright aqua water below. Leo recalled the last time he had been hurtling into the Mediterranean and cursed his stupidity as Festus hurtled even faster toward the ocean. _Stupid vlakas! _He berated himself. _What kind of stupid plan is this? Getting yourself killed? _Great_ idea. We should do it more often!_

The air seared against his face but Leo couldn't take his eyes off the ocean reaching up to meet him.

"AHHHHHH!" he screamed, unable to help himself. 10,000 feet he guessed, blindly as the wind whistled through his hair, his clothes, even his teeth. Then 8,000 feet. By the time he reached four thousand, he was sick of counting and instead screamed out mentally to his father: _DAD, NOW WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO HEEEEEEEELLLLP MEEEE-!_

At just over two thousand feet from the ocean, the waters flickered and the light spun, twirling in a dizzying pattern until suddenly-

Ogygia burst into life below him, a flourishing green island with white sandy beaches, a brightly coloured garden visible even from here and a stupid son of Hephaestus who was going to be flattened into its tectonic plate any second!

Leo clung tightly to Festus' neck but he didn't slow and there was no sign of any godly interference. "_Arrrreeee yooooou kiddiiiiing meeeeeeee?_" Leo howled, adrenaline ripping through his system as he realised the gods had sent him to Ogygia but he was obviously expected to save himself.

Figures.

Leo reached forward but with the wind slicing against his face, he couldn't find the disc port. His nails scrabbled against Festus' neck and the edge of the control disc poking out but Leo couldn't focus, couldn't keep his hand straight and he was going to die, he was actually going to fall out of the freaking sky on one of _his _creations and Calypso-

Calypso was going to see him do it and watch him die. _No, _he growled internally and narrowed his eyes against the spitting air slapping through his hair, his clothes, his face. _Calypso is waiting for me._ His fingers reached for the disc and finally managed to catch the edge. He slammed it back in with his palm and for an impossibly long moment, nothing happened. He continued hurtling toward the island without a hope in Hades and then-

Festus roared to life, rolling out of his death spiral and soaring upwards and around the west side of the island, his wings working furiously.

Leo let out a hoot of hysterical laughter, clutching Festus' neck tightly. "Oh gods above, you are the _best _mechanical dragon in the world!"

Festus growled back with a serious of clicks and clacks as if to say _Don't EVER do that again! _But Leo couldn't care. His victory was too sweet and as Festus circled back around to where Leo's camp was surprisingly still there, he felt untouchable.

He had returned. The Stygian oath's weight evaporated from his shoulders as though it were never there. He would find Calypso, tell the gods to hold up their end of the deal and take her back to Manhattan where he would show her movies and Google and everything else he'd mentioned. He was going to get to hold her hand and argue with her and maybe kiss her if he was _really, really _lucky and all the daydreams he'd had over the past few months were going to work out.

Right as soon as his hands stopped shaking.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys! You are all bright stars in the fandom sky and I love all of you for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing this story!**

**Now, Guest Review Time:**

**The Free Whore: Calypso next chapter I promise! I thought about trying to sneak in a Calypso POV but as you pointed out, her situation is frustratingly repetitive. Glad you enjoyed it and I hope the anticipation wasn't too bad- although I must wonder how big a godly Olympian pool is…**

**Ilovethisfanfic: I will admit, I didn't quite remember MoA before I wrote the last chapter- for the sake of this fic, let's just say that Ketos the sea dragon and Ketos the mother of monsters are two separate entities hmm? ;) Anyway, glad you liked it :D**

**V: Don't even worry about reviewing regularly, just as long as you're enjoying it so far :D Anyway, hope you liked the last chapter and this one: Caleo next update I promise!**

**Winonabcd: I PROMISE I'M NOT TRYING TO TORTURE YOU ON PURPOSE AND THAT I'M NOT RICK RIORDAN BUT I AM SO SO HAPPY THAT YOU LIKED THE FIGHT SCENE :D THANKYOU FOR READING AND CALEO NEXT CHAPTER I SWEAR!**

**Hannah: DON'T WORRY, CALEO NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE!**

**Z: Props for the Incredibles reference and that is high praise indeed, gummy bears are pretty damn fantastic. Anyway, Ketos is only resting for now, he might make an appearance later :D Although I am SO SO SO glad you liked the fight scene, I usually have trouble with them :)**

**Tara Luna Apple: Great! Wait's over and I hope you liked this chapter too!**

**Rick Riordan: They are my OTP as well and I'm so glad you like it :) My update schedule is typically Monday and Friday, hope you like the new update!**

**LittleNodi: You are also awesome and I'm glad you liked Leo, he's my favourite :D Hop!e you like this chapter too!**

**HAPPY FRIDAY AND I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER, CALYPSO AND LEO REUNION CHAPTER NEXT TIME I PROMISE**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here we are at the much awaited REUNION scene !- oh gods, pleaselikeitpleasepleasepleaselikeit- *ahem***

**Anyway, glad you all seem to be enjoying the story so far and I apologise for any torture, promise it wasn't my intent.**

**Take it easy with your reviews for this chapter guys? I'm super nervous about it GAH**

**HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAYS, YOU ALL DESERVE MAGICAL CHRISTMASES AND RELAXATION!**

**Much love,**

**Shy**

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

The first time a man found his way to Ogygia twice, Calypso immediately jumped to the conclusion that the combined pressure of Gaea and worry and three thousand years of loneliness and heartbreak had finally caused her mind to collapse.

It was, oddly enough, the presence of the enormous mechanical dragon that assured her otherwise.

Logically, such a sight should have simply confirmed that she had gone utterly mad. Logically, Calypso should have been wondering how such a thing had come about (she would _definitely _be accusing Dionysus of his old, insolent tricks some time soon)_. _

But in the back of her mind, she cradled the memory of Leo's stories. Like hot, warm coals that she turned over every now and then to savour the idea of him. Like the day he arrived and the day he left. The days he spent banging around that stupid campfire, the days she spent helping him. The kiss she gave him before pushing him away and the taste of smoke on her lips mixed with salt from tears. They were all there, nestled in an uncomfortable cluster in her chest, flaring up occasionally as if to remind her that Leo was real and she'd once had the indescribable pleasure of falling in lo- of _enjoying his company _for some small stretch of time.

She had been sitting in her cave, aimlessly weaving at her loom. She'd been sitting there an awful lot since Leo had left, the repetitive action somewhat soothing. She found she hated watching the horizons now because she not only didn't want to be disappointed at the unbroken line but also the fear that another hero might appear. A hero who was not Leo Valdez.

The Fates had always been tricky in who appeared to her. They were always irresistible, exactly the type of hero she adored. All except Leo who had come to be the only demigod she wanted to see, the only one she wanted to-

What? Love?

"Perhaps." She muttered to herself, weaving the end of an intricate blanket edged in golden flames while the middle held a beautifully designed phoenix bursting in a fiery blaze. "Perhaps love."

Calypso hated admitting it to herself but yes, _love. Of course, _love. She loved all her heroes at some point, after all.

But Leo was different to the others. Whereas she had slowly healed over from their wounds, fallen for each one after the other and watched them sail, knowing they would be replaced by another who would torture her, Calypso now dreaded the day another hero washed up on her shores. He could be strong and charming and brave but in the end-

In the end, he wouldn't be Leo Valdez.

And anyone else was simply not good enough.

Sighing, she finished the blanket and picked it up, feeling the tight weave for mistakes she knew she hadn't made. She wandered to her bed and let the vibrant blanket settle over her bed, the air spirits immediately tucking in the edges neatly. The phoenix was one of her best works so far, Calypso admitted somewhat morosely. Her misery was obviously producing a higher calibre of work than anything she'd ever created. Even as she admired it, Calypso found herself wanting to tear the blanket to shreds.

With an ever-present frown, she turned towards the cave entrance. Perhaps some time in her garden might soothe her a little more?

Just as she stepped forward, a deafening roar rang out over the island and she froze, consumed with adrenaline and alarm. Was Ogygia under attack? She poked her head out of the cave entrance and for a moment, feared that she had lost her senses entirely.

"That- that is impossible." Calypso breathed as she watched the glimmering drakon soar across Ogygia, having appeared as though it were about to crash only to fly away at the last moment. Yes, Calypso realised she had probably gone mad but those memories chose that moment to flare up, filling her head.

Including one story of a mechanical monster named Festus and how he would need to be rebuilt before the demigod hero could return for her.

Her heart simultaneously lifted and sank, hopeful and wary. Heroes did not find Ogygia twice. And yet the bronzed monstrosity burned brightly in the sun, proof that the rule had not held. "It can't be…" she murmured, staggering further out, her feet knowing the well worn path to Leo's old camp instinctively.

She hadn't been there since he left because it was stupid enough that she couldn't destroy the damn thing, she wasn't about to let it cloud her with grief and rage and all those ugly emotions. Calypso didn't want the space tainted by such things.

Now, it seemed, all bets were called off- she started out staggering and somewhere along the way, she was barely touching the sand, sprinting like a racer until she came to a stop, right at the edge of the campsite. Her eyes were glued to the golden-bronze mechanical beast as it circled above her.

"This is impossible," she told herself, gritting her teeth to hold back tears. "You're dreaming. This is a dream, just another dream, from Gaea. Any second now, she'll appear and he will be holding hands with the Roman or crushed beneath her might."

But as the creature drew nearer, she began to pick out details like the powerful swoop of its wings, the glint of its teeth…the indeterminable figure clutching its neck with skinny arms.

Without meaning to, the ocean waves began to thunder down onto the sand in time with her racing heartbeat. "It's not real," Calypso breathed, warring within herself. She tried to push the thought away at the same time as desperately _wanting _it with every fibre of her immortal body, every cell and hair was _screaming _that she wanted it to be true even as her eyes searched for the tell-tale blurriness of Gaea's illusions.

Even when she found none, Calypso still forced herself to back away, her whole body suddenly tingling as though those hot, coals of memories were sending wildfire racing through her blood. She wouldn't be trifled with, certainly not by Gaea. _No more_, she snapped at her cursed heart. _No, I won't enter into this ridiculous fantasy of hers-_

But suddenly the dragon swooped again and this time, Calypso could see a flash of dark curls and even darker eyes and a grin that had tormented her daydreams since she'd last seen it leave her.

It should not have been possible.

But somehow there he was, his face now visible from a distance on the back of Festus the Dragon who roared again as it swooped toward the camp.

Calypso hadn't realised she was stumbling forward again until she nearly tripped over her own feet, unable to believe her eyes as the dragon slowly came to a halt, its talons catching the bright white sand.

"Hey Sunshine!" Leo Valdez called cheerfully from his perch on the beast's back. He slid off with a wince, his left arm hanging awkwardly at his side. "Miss me?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to leave. That any illusion of Gaea's or trick of Dionysus' was not welcome here and he should be ashamed of himself. In a last ditch effort, her logic hissed doubt into her ear. _Would he say that? So casually? A hero wouldn't speak like that, not after defying the gods themselves by coming-_

It was for naught because immediately, those hot coal-like memories seemed to rush back and she realised they were so much more than memories. A hero wouldn't speak like that. Drake, Odysseus, they would shower her with gallantry and poetic lines. Leo, on the other hand?

Leo _would _dare to cross the Fates on his enchanted bronze dragon beast, fall out of the sky and end up calling her _Sunshine._

In that last tussle between her head and her heart, Calypso found she simply didn't have the strength. She didn't have a clever reply or witty retort. Not this time. Those coals exploded inside her like lightning, ringing with a wash of emotions she couldn't classify. Leo Valdez was on _her _island, on the back of a dragon, with that stupid, charming smile. Just as he'd promised her. Just as they'd _all _promised her.

Somehow his became the only promise that mattered and in a flash, her arms were around him- _his real form, _not a trick, not a hot memory, not a daydream. The shock of warm flesh was nearly too much to bear but she clung on still, praying for some small mercy, some tiny blessing that might extend this moment.

Leo Valdez was on Ogygia. He had returned. She clutched him tightly to her, pressing her cheek to his chest, listening to the slightly unsteady _ka-thump _of his heart as it confirmed all she had ever dreamed of. The coarse fabric of his shirt and the heat curling off his skin was nearly paralysing.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes." Leo muttered looping his right arm around the back of her shoulders. He felt like he was shaking.

"Shut up." She sniffed, tears streaming as he held her back tightly. Behind him, Festus the dragon cocked its head as though confused by the goddess' presence, like a bemused puppy.

"Sunshine?"

"Stop calling me that." She whispered, moving her head until her cheek pressed against his, locking her arms even more tightly.

_Never, _he thought privately. _But still… _"Calypso?"

"Yes?"

"You're kind of crushing my arm." He pointed out, wincing and she released him so suddenly he nearly fell backwards. It was only then that she realised he _was _shaking. When she studied him properly, she took in how tired he looked, how his left arm was covered in pus-filled welts and angry rashes, how he swayed when she let him go.

"What have you done to yourself, hero?" she sighed, half ecstatic, half irritated.

"Well, see, it started on a bus in Nevada…" he babbled nonsensically until Calypso looped her arm under his and helped support his weight as she lead him toward the cave.

"Quiet now." She ordered as they finally staggered inside. He sighed in relief of the cool shade and Calypso led him to her bed, pulling back the phoenix blanket and making him sit. Funny how just minutes ago she'd been ready to tear the quilt to pieces. "Lie down here."

"Hey…I'm not that kind of guy…" Leo protested weakly, bouncing slightly on the bed. "You'll have to buy me dinner first…"

"What caused these?" she asked, gently running her fingers over the angry rashes and blisters.

"I ran into a sea snake with bad breath…" he muttered, his pupils dilated. "It was _so _big…"

Only one creature Calypso knew of could cause such wounds but it had been vanquished to Tartarus for centuries. If it now stirred, it was a bad sign.

"Ketos?" Calypso asked and when she received no response, she patted Leo's cheek. "Leo, tell me, did the sea dragon Ketos do this?"

"Yyyyeah…?" he mumbled, his eyes slipping shut.

"When?" she pressed, her heart twisting slightly at the obvious pain of the sea drakon's poison taking its toll on him. Stupid demigods, getting themselves hurt. "Leo, wake up and tell me _when _you came across Ketos."

"Yesterday…why do I feel all…?" he waved his hand above him as though to encompass the haze he suddenly found himself surrounded by.

Calypso brushed her fingers across his face soothingly. "Ketos' poison attacks more quickly when you stop moving," she explained, quietly. "I have something that will help but you must stay awake."

"No." he whined.

A tiny smile appeared against her will. "Please Leo? For me?"

"I built a _dragon _to fly across the _Atlantic _to find you, woman…" Leo grumbled, petulantly. "Can't I go to sleep now?"

"I'm afraid not, hero." She smiled wider, tears in her eyes again. It felt like severing a limb but she rose from the bed as calmly as possible and moved to the shelves bordering her cave. She searched through the jars of all different sizes, filled with beans and dried flowers and crushed grain from her stocks without a second of hesitation. She was always tending to the heroes who washed up on Ogygia- it seemed fitting that she'd do the same for Leo now.

Calypso paused only at the ambrosia but decided Ketos' poison _probably _wouldn't react badly to the godly food. Probably. It was quick work for her to grind the mix and a few covert pinches of healing magic as well as some of the all-purpose soothing paste she was accustomed to using but the work was invigorating, a very old routine, a role she'd been playing for centuries.

"You'd better eat this or it will get worse." Calypso instructed, sitting back beside him with both the ambrosia, the healing paste and a lap full of bandages.

"Worse?" Leo mumbled, frowning. "How much worse?"

"Ketos' poison has been known to make demigods burst into flames." She replied, coaxing him into swallowing the herb-cake. Carefully, she smeared the lime green paste over the welts, trying to ignore the way he flinched and tried to pull away.

"I already do that." Leo pointed out around a mouthful of food, still disorientated. He was still far too weak to escape her grasp as she adjusted the bandages and wrapped them slowly from wrist to shoulder.

"Yes you do, hero." Calypso murmured, gently running her hand through Leo's dark curls as if to assure herself this was real. _Please be real, _she prayed to the gods, the fates, the Titans, anyone who would listen. _Please do not take him away from me. Please, I will not survive this._

"You keep callin' me that." He murmured, eyes flickering tiredly. His face seemed hollow, the shadows beneath his eyes far darker than Calypso liked. "Hero."

"That is because you are my hero, Leo." She whispered, brushing her lips over his forehead. She worried that if she didn't keep touching him, he might just evaporate like smoke on the wind.

"Who're you?" Leo suddenly grumbled, one eye trained on her suspiciously. "And what did you do with Calypso?"

"Don't worry, Valdez." She chuckled, too relieved and joyful to take offense. The weight of the memories, those hot coals, was so much lighter now, filling her with warmth rather than pain. "There will be plenty of time to insult each other when you're better."

"_Fine_…" Leo muttered as though it pained him to say so and she laughed at his dramatic tone. "You'll stay though right?" his voice was much smaller as he began to drift off.

"Of course." Calypso promised, tucking the edge of the wrappings against his shoulder. "You did after all build a dragon to see me."

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**A/N: ...so?**

**Z: Oh my gods, you don't even want to know how irritated I was that she recognised that so quickly. I know it was necessary for the plot but if anyone should've recognised it, it would've been Johanna, let's face it. Glad you liked the chapter and don't worry, there's still another obstacle before Calypso is free ;)**

**Tara Luna Apple: HERE YOU GO, I HOPE YOU LIKE IT :D**

**Blah: Isn't Festus wonderful? We know who's really running the show...Glad you liked it, I really enjoyed writing more about how he got there rather than the typical 'he sailed back' idea. THANKS FOR READING :)**

**Ilovethisfanfic: TID can send many a reader to tears, there there. Hope this makes up for the heartache brought on by Will Herondale, that loveable, irritating bastard. **

**Aquadrop: A cookie? Well if you insist...GLAD YOU LIKED IT, HOPE YOU LIKE THE REUNION SCENE, I AM VERY SCARED FOR PEOPLE'S REACTIONS GAH**

**Guest: There there *hands over shock blanket and this chapter* I hope this helps :)**

**Guest: No, don't die, they haven't even gotten off the island yet! Here, I hope you like it!**

**Doriana: Nawwww, you're gonna make me blush. Thankyou, I really _really _hope you like this chapter, I'm very nervous but re-reading your really sweet review made me happy :) THANKS!**

**Thanks for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing, I love you all HAVE A WONDERFUL, SAFE HOLIDAY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

**PS. **_Again, I might have to reply to reviews later tonight, sorry guys, I haven't forgotten about any of you promise!_

**PSS.** I wrote a Christmas outtake and I will be posting it tomorrow if any of you lovelies would like to read it :D


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, what was the weather like? It was a cloudless 28 degrees celsius down under and I spent all day in the pool.**

**Also, I posted my Christmas outtake on my profile! It's called Traditional and THANK-YOU EVERYONE WHO READ IT! I have a few more chapters of that to come but I wanted to focus on this chapter for now.**

**As for people wondering if this is the end (because Leo has now found Calypso etc.) HELL NO, there are still SO many more 'firsts' for these two to get through ;D**

**THANKYOU EVERYONE WHO READ, REVIEWED, FOLLOWED OR FAVOURITED THIS STORY SO FAR, YOU ARE ALL LOVELY!**

**Much love,**

**Shy.**

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

The first time Leo woke up in Calypso's bed, he was actually a little disappointed that he was alone.

After all he _had _defeated Gaea, saved the world, rebuilt Festus, battled a sea dragon and let himself _fall out of the sky _to get to her. Was it too much to ask that he might get to see her before the pain in his arm set in? Pretty girls always had a way of making him feel better.

At the moment, however, Leo was distinctly pretty-girl-less. Instead, he tried to concentrate on the pretty multi-coloured swirl of crystal set in the ceiling and the fine white curtain that separated the fluffy bed from the rest of the cave.

His eyes felt tired and strained but functional at least, if a teeny bit blurred. He couldn't remember _a lot _after he crashed on Calypso's bed but he was fairly certain he hadn't slept well and had a distinct impression of sticky, oily nightmares breathing down his neck but he couldn't remember the details.

"Come on Valdez," he muttered, groaning as he tried to sit up. He gave up when the movement made his whole left side go limp for a minute. "I'm telling Percy about this, you stupid piece of sushi," he growled at the thought of Ketos, wherever the heck it was. "I'll _roast_ you next time."

Blinking, Leo glanced around as much as his body would let him and the more he tried to focus, the less blurry the images became. When the white curtain shifted slightly in the breeze, he saw an enormous wooden structure against the far wall with spools of coloured thread strung taunt through the beams, a plain table with a gleaming golden lyre poised on top and shelves overflowing with jars and baskets and hanging plants. He'd never really been inside Calypso's cave and he didn't know what he'd been expecting but he was sort of surprised. He'd figured she'd prefer the clean, neat lines of Mount Olympus but this was kind of a pigsty.

He smirked tiredly at that; pretty, bossy goddess wasn't perfect after all. The movement made his teeth hurt and Leo began to wonder just how badly the crazy acid-spray might've affected him. His last memories of arriving on Ogygia were tinted with a strange green cloud and every other movement sent little spiralling surges of pain through his skin. He could still taste some of that god-awful-medicine-food-shit Calypso had shoved down his throat on the back of his tongue.

He tried to shuffle up to a seated position and he probably would've done better this time except his hands wouldn't release the bright red blanket he clutched. When he looked down, he could see it was some kind of flaming chicken but his hands had already singed holes where he'd been grabbing it in his sleep. A cheerful humming from the other side of the cave caught his attention and he decided to sit up, letting out a hiss of pain as he did.

The humming stopped and Calypso suddenly appeared, holding a breakfast very different to the stew he'd lived on last time he was here.

"You're awake," she smiled brightly and sat on a small stool beside the bed, passing him the tray of eggs and bacon, grilled tomatoes, sausages and toast with a gentle hand. "The air nymphs made you breakfast." She added with a tiny smile.

"You weren't here." He mumbled, somewhat stunned at actually seeing her face after all this time. She wore a bright green t-shirt and grass stained jeans, her long auburn hair braided to one side. She looked like something out of his daydreams and he wanted to pinch himself to make sure it was real. He would've except his arm looked like a lame extra from The Mummy and he didn't want to bring back that stinging pain.

She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes as she gently helped him sit up. "Eat this."

She handed him more of that horrible medicine-cake but Leo was fairly certain insulting a girl's cooking was not the way to her heart so he grimaced and swallowed the herb-mix-cake-thing whole.

Even if it tasted like feet and radishes, he could tell there was at least a _bit _of ambrosia because the effect was immediate- as soon as it hit his stomach, Leo could feel the last of the shooting pains retreat, leaving him exhausted but at least able to move his limbs again. (Which was good because if Calypso had to hand feed him his breakfast, he was fairly certain she was never going to take him seriously again.)

"As for not being here, I had better things to do than watch you snore. Like making sure you didn't spontaneously combust from Ketos' poison." Calypso said pointedly as she handed him the tray of food.

"I told you," he mumbled as he shoved a sausage in his mouth, ravenously hungry. "I al-weady doo 'at."

"Swallow before speaking, I have little interest in what your half digested food looks like." She commented, eyebrow raised.

"Wow, okay _mom_. You sound like Piper." He snickered as he made the comparison. "Fanks for da food." He added with his mouth full, just to irritate her. As soon as he did it, he wondered if maybe acting like a nine year old wasn't his best idea. But it was just so easy to be _comfortable _around her now, like all the stress and worry and nerves and questions just melted off him.

Her nose wrinkled but her eyes were light with humour and a kind of spectacular joy. "You're welcome. The poison should have faded by now and the fatigue should wear off by the afternoon. Well, I hope will at least."

"Missing my vibrant company, Sunshine?" he said, grinning.

Calypso snorted, stealing a strip of bacon for herself. "Hardly. Your dragon has been tearing up the eastern half of Ogygia with its nerves."

"Aw man," Leo frowned, apologetically. "I completely forgot about Festus."

"He's quite fine, just worried, I believe." She assured. "I told him you would be fine and he seemed to understand me. Such an odd machine."

"He's more than a machine," Leo boasted. "I programmed him to understand commands and when Piper brought him to life with her charmspeak-"

"You talk much about this girl Piper." Calypso interjected, speculatively.

"Not too much," Leo shrugged. "Her boyfriend could crush me." He sat up further, the remaining ache beginning to ease fraction by fraction. When he felt like his arms might not collapse on him, Leo leaned back and raised his brows, pointedly at the goddess. "You know, I came _back_."

"You did." Calypso agreed with a beautiful smile.

"So I was thinking," he coughed, trying to summon that Leo Valdez charm that had always let him escape detention or incite laughter but it flailed in response. As it usually did around pushy beautiful sea goddesses. "When we get to New York-"

"New York?" Calypso's smile turned slightly sad.

"Well yeah," Leo drawled, uncertainly. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to regain his train of thought with little success. _Damn it man, pull it together. _"When we leave. Camp Half-Blood is on Long Island so I figured that was the most reasonable spot…" _Oh gods, what if she doesn't want to follow me? What if she wants to live somewhere else like Sweden or Thailand or-? "…_unless you want me to drop you somewhere else, I mean I can do that-" he began to babble, nervously.

In a flash, Calypso shut him up by dragging his mouth to hers, just like she had all those months ago when he'd first left her. After so much time thinking about that first kiss, he was embarrassingly caught off guardby the feel of her lips and the only thought running through his head was that she tasted _so _much better than his dreams. The touch sent little licks of fire curling at his insides, rapidly expanding inside his belly, which was an unusual feeling for someone who usually controlled fire. Calypso kissed him like she was _trying _to make him implode.

"I would like nothing more," she breathed when they parted. "Than to go to this…New York with you, hero. But I'm afraid that just because you found Ogygia twice, does not mean my curse is broken. The magic is still there, I can feel it. I cannot leave."

"But the gods told me when I found the island-" Leo complained, unthinkingly.

"Gods?" Calypso's eyes narrowed. "What did they say this time?"

"Well, when I made dad take me to Olympus, Zeus said-" Leo began.

Her face took on a slightly awed look. "Wait, you spoke to the gods on my behalf?"

"Spoke…ordered…demanded…blackmailed…" he wheedled with a shrug. "It's kind of the same thing isn't it? Point is, they said if I found Ogygia-"

Calypso seemed determined not to let him finish a sentence. She crashed her lips to his, this time turning the licks of fire into a blazing inferno that chased a path down his spine from head to toe. One hand cradled his jaw, the other gripped his camp shirt tightly and yanked him closer. He could barely concentrate on breathing, his head too full of the heady smell of cinnamon and the softness of her mouth pressed to his. His right arm was still useless at his side, numbed by poison and tightly bandaged but his left hesitantly rested on the curve of her cheek. She was soft and her braid tickled his neck and oh gods, when she ran her tongue across his bottom lip, it made his whole body twitch in reply.

"You brave, wonderful boy." She murmured into his mouth before kissing him again. "You spoke to the _gods_. For _me_."

"As much as I _really _want you to keep doing that," Leo wheezed when she finally let go. "I'm trying to talk here, woman!"

"But there are so many better things to do with that mouth of yours…" she murmured back, looking as though she was going to kiss him again. Or worse. Or better. He _really _couldn't tell the difference anymore. So Leo did the only thing he thought would work.

He covered her mouth with his hand and held her back with a pointed stare. "I am trying _really hard _to tell you something here Sunshine. But if you keep doing that, I am _never _going to finish." He said, slowly. "Okay?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes hypnotically dark.

"Okay," Leo sighed, removing his hand. "Zeus said that if I found Ogygia, they would release you. I don't get it, they said they were honour bound by the Styx. You should be free."

Calypso shrugged, dragging her nails through a stray dark curl of hair beside his ear. "Perhaps they have not realised. Or perhaps they have forgotten. Who knows why the gods do anything?"

"Have you ever tried calling on one of them?" Leo asked, thoughtfully. "Can they even come here?"

"They can but my calls usually do not work. Hermes typically answers if he is not busy. But perhaps you can try when you have assured Festus you're alive." Calypso suggested, removing the tray from Leo's lap.

He slid out of the bed and miracle of miracles, his legs didn't fold beneath him. His joints cracked, however, like they did after spending a long time in one position and Leo realised that riding Festus for days at a time with few rests, then battling a sea monster was _probably_ not his best decision. But it seemed worth it now, standing beside her, buzzing from her kisses, released from the weight of that wretched oath, triumphant after so much preparation and work-

"And Leo?" Calypso said, innocently.

"Yeah?"

She smiled sweetly as she set the tray down on a nearby bench. "I am overjoyed you have returned. Truly. But if you attempt to muzzle me like a hound ever again, I will have your hand separated from your body." She turned and left the cave, leaving Leo following her with his eyes and a gaping mouth.

"Bronze bulls, what a girl…" he muttered, his mouth splitting into an enormous grin as he forced his shaky legs to follow.

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**A/N: Review time!**

**Guest: Caps lock excused but seriously, agreed, Rick needs to let these two get together in peace without, you know, tossing them into Tartarus. Enjoy the Caleo ship and thanks for reading!**

**Guest: I've been waiting to write and post it since chapter one! Glad you enjoyed it ;)**

**Winonabcd: I. KNOW. WHAT TO SAY: THANKYOU AND I AM SO SO SO SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT :D**

**Ilovethisfanfic: The Christmas outtake is published on my profile as a separate story called Traditional, hope you like it and THANKYOU FOR READING, I'M SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT :)**

**AquaDrop: Nawww, don't get teary! I'm just really pleased everyone liked it, I know you guys had high expectations for it ;)**

**Tara Luna Apple: ENJOY THE KISSES AND FLUFF! ;)**

**Hannah: Glad you liked it and I will certainly be writing more :D**

**AmmyDOS101: Rest and I hope when you wake up, this chapter will greet you in the morning ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Guest: Thanks! I'm trying to keep to Riordan's style as much as possible for this story and it's really fun to write :D**

**Guest: YAY I'M SO HAPPY EVERYONE LIKED IT, I WAS **_SO_** NERVOUS SO THANKS!**

**Guest: Naw, don't cry! I'm just glad you're enjoying it so far, I'm trying to keep to Riordan's style and pay attention to the details so it reads well but it's nice to know people like it. Also the Christmas outtake is on my profile as a separate story called Traditional ;)**

**Z: Hello! Yay, I'm really _really _happy you liked it, I was a bit nervous cause it's kind of a pinnacle moment, you know? Anyway, as for Ketos' stirring, Ketos was seriously bad news in Ancient Greece. Like, myths about giant squids, the kraken etc. they all pale in comparison to how messed up shit got when Ketos turned up. In _The Titan's Curse, _Chiron mentions Ketos as a possibility for the 'bane of Olympus' and that had Ketos stirred, Poseidon would've 'sounded the alarm'. So yeah, it's not really a good thing but I'm sure it won't be ancient-evil-destroying-the-earth-bad…I hope ;) Anyway, I really hope he continues on and does a Norse mythology series, man, that would be _AWESOME._**

**Hope you liked it, next chapter will be up Monday and as for the next Christmas outtake, I'm hoping to post it this weekend! Thanks for all the kind words, love, suggestions and questions guys (especially the questions), I really enjoy getting to reply to them :D**

**Shy**


	23. Chapter 23

**(A/N: HAPPY MONDAY AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAD FANTASTIC WEEKENDS! **

**Wow, okay, **_super long chapter alert_**. This probably could've been split in two but whatevs, I like it this way ;)**

**Thankyou to all my lovely readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters, you're all phenomenal and I hope you enjoy!**

**Shy)**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

The first time Leo fully understood the Prophecy of the Seven, he also may or may not have made Calypso so angry that the water around Ogygia started to boil.

When he managed to hobble out of the cave, the first thing he saw was an enormous dragon charging him and shooting steam out of his nostrils with pleasure. Festus was ecstatic to see Leo up and moving and Leo realised the new control disk he'd spent time on had given the bronze automaton a far more playful personality.

When Festus realised Calypso's goddess super-strength, she indulged the dragon and played fetch with a boulder the size of a beanbag for an hour before it cracked.

Leo was pleased to see the two getting on so well, though he was still a little frustrated that Calypso had not been freed. She insisted the magic was still surrounding the island, although Leo couldn't sense it. Apparently, hurtling from thirty thousand feet in the air to find the phantom island was not enough for the gods. But if that didn't do it, what would?

"I find your friend quite delightful!" she called out with laughter as Festus charged a group of seagulls on the shoreline, blowing fire and roaring. They looked unimpressed and merely fluttered further down the beach.

"He likes you too." Leo noted as Festus took to the skies again, circling overhead and enjoying the well-deserved rest.

"I'm glad," Calypso confessed, walking up the beach towards the demigod. "I want him to like me. He brought you here." She sat beside him in the sand gracefully and hugged her knees to her chest.

"_And_ he'll take us back." Leo added though Calypso didn't respond, instead merely turning up the cuffs of her jeans with great attention. "I think it's time to call for my dad." He said, meaningfully and the goddess sighed.

"Leo, the gods mightn't think it a good idea." She said, slowly. "They may decide to keep me here."

He kind of wanted to groan in frustration. "What? No way, Percy made them swear, _I _made them promise!"

"You're young Leo," she murmured, staring down at her bare toes. "You can still believe in things like honour and promises and principles. But let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time the gods said one thing and did another."

"I'm not _that _young." He countered, quickly, wishing she'd believe in the possibility for just a second. He knew logically that Calypso didn't doubt _him, _she doubted the gods and it was pretty reasonable from where he stood. But in a surge of what he liked to believe was courage, he grabbed her hand in his and tugged on it slightly to get her to look into his face. "And they're _going _to honour the promise. I'm not leaving you here, Calypso. Not again." he said slowly.

For a long while, Leo watched her intently as a little spark of hope in her expression tried to gather enough bravery to believe the words. He could see the initial wariness pretty clearly and it didn't surprise him. To be honest, Leo wouldn't have believed him either- it reminded him of the first couple of homes he lived in and the slow fading wish that maybe this one would be better, different, kinder. Eventually Leo stopped hoping entirely in anything except himself. It wasn't really until he met Piper and Jason that he started thinking perhaps things could be different for him and even that was an uphill struggle. He more than anyone knew how hard it was to start hoping again when you'd already made yourself stop. But he wanted to be for Calypso, what his friends and Camp Half Blood were for him: a new chance.

But maybe it was too soon because as soon as the hope flickered to life, Calypso cut her eyes away from him and ran her fingertips across the lines and callouses of his palm. The feeling tickled slightly.

"It's alright, hero." she soothed, quietly. "If you can visit me every now and then- well, that is more than I ever thought would be possible."

_Too soon, _he sighed internally.

"I'll do more than visit you." Leo muttered, standing up and craning his neck to look up at the sky. "Dad? _Dad? _Are you there? Come on, I did it! I followed the rules, it's time to pay up! Zeus said if I found Ogygia-"

"He can hear you, son." His father's rough voice cut in as the god himself appeared in a whirl of bright white flames. Clad in his usual dark green overalls with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Hephaestus of the Forge was cleaning his hands off with a piece of old rag as he strode up the beach to meet the couple. "No need to bellow."

"Lord Hephaestus," Calypso greeted politely. She stood up and brushed the sand from her hands. "It has been quite a while since we last spoke."

"Leo talks enough for both of us, I find." His father nodded to the goddess with what might've been a smile under his bushy bristly beard. Leo realised that despite the casualness of his appearance, his dad wasn't covered in grease or soot. He looked…_clean._

"That is true." Calypso laughed, softly. "But he is kind and clever. Very much like you I find, my old friend." With that, Leo could feel her hand entwining with his again, almost shyly. It seemed so unlike the pushy, bossy, big-mouthed goddess he knew and yet it was comforting to know she was sort of nervous about this..._thing _between them too, in some ways.

"I'll take that as a compliment." His dad winked and Calypso laughed again. When she wore jeans and a t-shirt, teased him and argued with him, it was so easy to forget Calypso was an ageless immortal goddess who knew his dad better than he did.

"Dad, tell her the curse is broken." Leo cut in, feeling outnumbered by the immortals present and not just a little creeped out that his father seemed to be _flirting _with the girl who made him explode when she kissed him and held his hand like she just wanted to touch him.

His dad's response wasn't comforting in the slightest: Hephaestus sighed heavily and his hands twisted the rag into various shapes uncomfortably. "It's not _really _that simple."

"What do you mean, _it's not that simple, _of course it is!" Leo argued, frustrated by the lack of stability to the gods' promises. One minute they said yes, the next they said no and in between they spewed all kinds of obscure mumbo jumbo to confuse their children. "Snap your fingers, wiggle your nose, whatever you need to do! Zeus already swore-"

"Calm down, hero." Calypso said, squeezing his hand gently. "Nothing will be solved with anger."

"That is _hilarious_ coming from you." He told her with a pointed look to remind her of the first time they'd met. She rolled her eyes impatiently and nudged him in response.

"Zeus remembers his promise, Leo." Hephaestus added with an uncomfortable look. "But the Fates…"

"The Fates have decided I am not to leave." Calypso deduced with a blank expression.

"Not…_exactly._" His father mumbled. "The curse was designed to be eternal. Three thousand years is, after all, a long time to follow one strand of fate-"

"Trust me." Calypso broke in, her eyes flashing. "I understand _exactly_ how long it is."

His father looked…humbled. "You've become interwoven with the curse. The conditions of Ogygia are tied to you and you to it. To break with Ogygia would be to break with…yourself."

"Wha-what?" Calypso turned ashen and her jaw dropped.

"What does that even mean?" Leo groaned, his head hurting from the riddles the gods seemed to spout nonstop.

But it was not Hephaestus who answered. Calypso instead took a deep, shaky breath and her hand trembled in his. "It means," she began haltingly. "That if I am to leave Ogygia, I…I would no longer be a goddess."

The idea ran circle around the inside of his head as Leo studied the pair of them intently. "You would be-?"

"Mortal." Hephaestus finished with a solemn look.

"How does _that _work?" His brow furrowed, absolutely stumped. He had always been under the impression that mortals became gods, not the other way around. How did one mortal-ise a goddess anyway?

"You are certain?" she ignored him, looking at Hephaestus with sorrow. "There's no other way?"

His dad's expression took on a bitter edge. "When the compromise was…_presented_ to the council, they leapt for it. Gods know, Zeus doesn't want more Titans running around with the potential to start uprisings."

As if hearing the unsaid words, Calypso laughed, sourly. "I can only guess who might have suggested such a compromise."

"Would _someone _please fill in the _mere mortal_ as to what the hell is going on?" Leo suddenly demanded, irritably.

Calypso turned to him, pale and stiff. "It means my immortality is now tied to the island, just like the mortality of anyone who stays here. I cannot leave as a goddess. It would have to be as a mortal." She explained, looking troubled.

"Hermes intervened on your behalf," Hephaestus leapt to say. "You would retain the magic and ability you possess now, perhaps a little more in time but-"

"But I will never be the immortal I was before. My powers- my _full_ powers, they are gone." Calypso nodded, teeth gritted. "I understand. Lord Hephaestus, may I-?"

"Take your time." He suggested gruffly. "I know this is a difficult decision. Whatever you choose, you only have to leave of your own free will and it will be done." With those last words, he exploded in a blinding wreath of colourless flames, leaving Leo and Calypso on the beach alone.

"I'm sorry." Leo muttered, shocked. "I thought- I thought they could do more for you."

Hera's cool, parting words in the throne room came to his mind and suddenly made sickening sense. _With a few conditions, of course. _At that point, he didn't know how but he would bet every ounce of celestial bronze his hands had ever touched that the Queen of Heaven had known Calypso would have to make this choice if she wanted to leave. At that point, Leo wanted to barbecue his crazy babysitter for not breaking the news to him _just a little_ earlier_._

"It is hardly your fault, Leo." Calypso sighed, sitting back down in the sand. "I never expected I would ever be offered a chance of freedom like this."

"But…?" he could hear the unsaid word.

"But…" she murmured, tugging on the end of her braid. "I've always longed for my powers back. It is hard to think I will never have that part of myself again."

He pushed away his rising anger with Hera, filled with a sudden worry that maybe it wasn't a sweet enough deal. Leave Ogygia with the irritating demigod but lose out on the awesome god powers? Was it enough for her?

"Would it be so bad?" he asked, quietly. "Being, you know, mortal? I mean, we're not all bad, if I say so myself."

"I was never meant to be a mortal, hero." She tilted her head back to watch the clouds drift overhead. "Even when I was trapped, I've only ever lived as a goddess. I never expected to die. I never expected to bleed or change or grow old."

"I find the threat of death comes in handy," Leo spluttered out, unthinkingly. "I mean, it stops me from doing stupid stuff all the time."

"Really?" her voice was dry.

"Well…some of the time." He allowed with a slight grin before he summoned every last ounce of courage in his chest. He reminded himself that he'd faced down monsters, Romans, riddles, sorcerers, legions of the dead, the Doors of Death and Dirt Face herself. Talking to the girl of his dreams shouldn't be much harder, right?

"If you became mortal, you could come with me." he proposed, quietly. "I could take you to New York or Morocco or Timbuktu. You'd grow older. You'd become an adult with me."

"As much as _you_ can be an adult." She added with a small smile.

He didn't rise to the bait, instead kneeling in front of her in the sand. "You could stay with me."

"I could." Calypso finally turned her eyes on him, her eyes conflicted but determined. "I think I would like to stay with you very much, Leo Valdez. And I think...If I were to take my final steps as an immortal, I think I would do so for you. _With_ you."

He was about a second away from leaping into the air with gods damned _joy _when the words sunk in.

"Final steps…" His mind suddenly leapt to a rhyme which had taunted him since he'd first made it to Camp Half-Blood, always at the edge of his thoughts whenever a spare moment arose. "A final breath…" he realised. _An oath to keep with a final breath. _"Your final breath. That's what it meant!"

"What are you speaking of, hero?" Calypso asked with a confused smile.

"An oath to keep with a final breath. It's a line from the Prophecy of the Seven, the one that predicted Gaea's fall. An oath to keep with a final breath. That's me and you. My oath. Your final breath- as an immortal. Oh man," Leo laughed aloud. "It all makes so much _sense _now!"

"Your oath?" Calypso echoed, bewildered. "You did not take an oath, Leo."

"But I did!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "When I left, that night, on the raft. I swore I'd come back for you, on the River Styx-"

"_What?"_

"-and now it's all come true. _Man _I don't know how Rachel does it, I mean _wow-_"

"You swore an oath?" Calypso's eyes had narrowed to slits and she looked like she could cheerfully rip his tongue out. "On the _Styx? _Have you utterly _lost your mind?!"_

"What?" Her angry exclamations startled him out of his musings. "No! I swore I'd come back for you and I did-!"

"Did you ever think what might happen if you hadn't?" she stood up suddenly, seeming to grow several inches. The air began to swelter and flex with heat and energy and the waves began to roll in more violently.

"Uh, Calypso-" he said in a small voice.

"It's a phantom island, you had no way of knowing if you would ever come back! Do you know what happens to oath breakers who swear on the Styx? Do you?" she yelled, furiously as the wind picked up.

"Well, _no _but-" he stammered but he didn't get far.

"The Styx tortures them, Leo, it fills them with agony, it skins them alive with their dishonesty, makes them feel as though their every nightmare has come to life! And then, maybe it might kill you!"

"That seems a little extreme." He noted, idly.

"And even if you had died, if you perished without coming here? Do you understand, Leo? The Styx does not forget oaths sworn to it!" she roared, as the ocean began to bubble and foam, the humid air growing unpleasantly hot even for Leo. "It would hold you to it even if you had died! You would _never_ achieve Elysium, no matter how heroic you were in life!"

"Er, Calypso, maybe you should calm down…" Leo suggested as sweat began to drip from his forehead and the ocean bay boiled fiercely in reaction to her fury. But she ignored him.

"You would never find peace! Not even in the Asphodel Meadows! You would never-"

Leo kissed her. It was really the only thing he could think of and it had worked so well on him. Besides, he _really _enjoyed kissing her.

The air went still, the waters silent. It was the first time he'd kissed a girl first but _di immortales, _what a girl. With everything gone calm, he found himself concentrating on all the tiny details of her like how she had one stray curl that tickled his chin or how her skin almost _hummed _with power when he cradled her face in his calloused fingers. Finally, Calypso pulled away with struck but still heated eyes.

"You said not to muzzle you so I figured this was the only thing that would work." Leo pointed out with a half-grin. (It made her melt. Just a tiny bit.)

"Promise me you will not do something so foolish again, you stupid demigod." She muttered, the anger drifting away and replaced with fear. "Especially not because of me."

"Should I promise on the Styx?" he teased and she whacked the back of his head in reply. "_Ow!"_

"Stupid demigod," she repeated, hugging him close to her. "I cannot believe you swore such a thing. I have never heard of anything so foolish in all my life."

"Hey," Leo said, wounded. "I knew I was going to follow through. And what's with all this 'stupid' business? Let's go back to when you called me 'wonderful' instead." He suggested.

Despite herself, Calypso smiled a small smirk into his shoulder. "Promise not to scare me like that again, Wonder Boy."

"'Wonder Boy' is not 'wonderful'." He pointed out, still unimpressed.

"It is accurate however. You are indeed a boy of wondrous things, Leo Valdez." She noted ruefully, running a hand through his hair. Leo noted in some corner of his mind that she seemed fond of doing it and hell if he was going to try stopping her. "Promise me, Wonder Boy."

"I can promise I'll try." Leo said, thoughtfully. "But I dunno, I do a lot of stupid, dangerous things. I might scare you a little."

"I suppose that will have to do." She sighed, pulling away. "Come, I must pack my things."

"So you're coming with me?" Leo asked hopefully. "You're gonna be mortal?"

Calypso smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the caves. "Yes, Leo Valdez, I'm coming with you."

There it was, he thought. That flicker of hope he'd seen before was now spread across her face.

"There are so many things I want to do." She said, her excitement growing. "There are cities and people and many things to try. I want to know about that device known as a cell phone and I want to see that ship of yours and I want to feel _snow _again-"

"Let's start with making it back to camp first, huh?" He proposed, his grin wide and ecstatic as she talked. He didn't even care he looked like a cheesy cartoon character or that her mention of snow made him think of Ice Nut Khione- it was worth it. _So _worth it.

"Yes, _camp_!" Calypso said, a startled laugh falling from her lips. "Stars above, _camp. _I-I'm going to see Camp Half Blood. And that great city you spoke of-"

"New York?" Leo suggested, amused.

"Yes! The city without gardens. And something called a subway, I don't know what it is, but I want to try it." She babbled. "And you said you would take me to…what was the word…ah yes, a movie. In Manhattan. With that popped corn you speak so fondly of."

_She just asked me on a date. _He realised with a jolt of admiration and surprise. His first date and it was with a goddess who was going to give up immortality to spend her life with _him_.

"Sounds like a plan Sunshine." he told her, trying not to turn too red at the thought.

She rolled her eyes. "Stop calling me that, would you?"

He just snickered in reply. "Never."

* * *

**(A/N: Naww, they're sickeningly cute sometimes. Except when Calypso's about to boil Leo's ass. **

**Did it make sense? With the whole oath/conditions thing? If anyone has any questions or issues, feel free to review or PM, just...keep it kind guys? Please?)**

**Now, guest reviews:**

_Sydwashere:_** YOU ROCK AND I AM GLAD YOU LIKE IT :D**

Z:** Perhaps too much fluff, but that's a decision for later on. In the meant time, I must know what qualifies as 'suspiciously good' ;) ? As for Leo's first kiss, I always planned for Calypso to be a **_**little **_**more forward than Leo would be, mainly because for all his charm, he's still kind of new at the whole relationship thing and Calypso's not- So yeah, maybe in his dreams :D. Anyway glad you enjoyed it ;) **

_Ilovethisfanfic:_** Caleo forever, I agree- also, glad you liked the fluff but for the sake of my stomach, I might have to tone it down eventually. There is such a thing as too mushy after all but I'm glad you liked it :D**

_Guest:_** *claps back and squeaks like dolphin* YAY I AM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE IT :D**

_Alyssa:_** YOU ARE AMAZING AND THANKYOU SO MUCH, I AM GLAD YOU LIKE IT SO FAR AND YEAH, THEIR KISSES ARE FEEL-FILLED, AGREED. Thanks for taking a minute to review :D**

_Tara Luna Apple_**: Too much fluff? Might tone it down soon, it gets hard to write after a while. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it and MORE KISSES THIS CHAPTER :D**

_Guest:_** Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely review and I hope I finish it too ;)**

**See you on FRIDAY!**_  
_


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hi guys! Happy Friday, hope you've had fantastic weeks and a wonderful New Year!**

_I do have a quick request: I put a poll up on my profile with regards to a potential quest for Calypso and Leo sometime in this fic and it would mean so much if you could go take a look? Thanks!_

**Another nice long chapter for you guys as a thankyou for the overwhelming response from last chapter (and as a bribe to get you to go to the poll on my profile, I admit) so enjoy!**

**Shy**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

The first time Calypso realised that draining her immortal essence might be painful, she was already sitting behind Leo on the back of Festus the Dragon, flying headfirst through the shield that bound Ogygia and herself.

She had begun packing her things the night Hephaestus told her of her fate and Leo had helped, as much as Leo could. More often that not, he was too busy playing with the trinkets and flotsam that had washed up on Ogygia over the ages. Calypso was beginning to realise her hero was easily distracted to the point of absurdity.

Luckily, she was a goddess (for now) and she did not need help carrying her things or arranging her possessions. When Leo found an old compass that had once belonged to Drake the pirate, he took it apart and put it back together, noting that the inside had some kind of mechanism that allowed it to function underwater. Calypso on the other hand, finished folding her clothes and tucking them into a thick canvas bag she'd woven long ago but never expected to use.

"But it's from the late seventeenth century!" Leo muttered, studying the device in his hands. "It shouldn't be able to do that."

"It was probably a gift from his father." Calypso sighed, absently. She was taking samples of all her plants and herbs with her, hoping that somewhere she could try her hand at recreating her garden. She recalled a conversation long ago with Percy about Manhattan and how it was too crowded to grow flowers.

"Who was his dad? Poseidon?" Leo distracted her, taking the compass apart.

"It seems logical but no. Drake was a son of Hermes."

"Ah, thieves." Leo said. "I get it."

Calypso rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You may take whatever you like. I'm sure their owners no longer care." The fire was burning brightly, lighting up the cave and when Leo glanced at her, her hair looked sort of fiery and wildly curly from playing on the beach in the wind. It wasn't a _bad _look for her at all.

"Are you okay?" he ventured, warily. Usually asking girls questions like that was not a great idea but Calypso was looking around at her cave like she was trying decide if she should punch it or mourn it.

"This place has been my home for a very long time. I hadn't realised I'd collected so many things and now I can't imagine living without them." She admitted, wearily. "It is a silly problem to have."

Leo remembered how he'd felt about his meagre possessions when he was in foster care, how even though it appeared as junk, he'd kept each and every bit that mattered to him. Anything he left behind at any of his homes were things he had never really cared for. You had to pack light when you were running from the state anyway.

He stood, leaving the compass by the fireside. "You know, we can come back and get all of it." He suggested, calculating how long it would take to move Calypso's cave. At least a week to give Festus proper breaks in between.

"No." Calypso murmured. "The island will not crumble. It will all be here if I ever decide to come back."

"Would you?" Leo asked. "Come back I mean?"

"Perhaps." Her eyes slid between the fire and Leo. "Then again, perhaps not. I suppose this should be my first lesson in being mortal. You embrace change so easily." She sighed. "My father and his brethren- the Titans' biggest weakness was their inflexibility. It is how the Olympians have triumphed for so long. I was never taught how to change and now I find myself about to become mortal of all things."

"It's not all that hard." Leo pointed out. "It'll fly past without you even knowing and you'll adapt without realising."

Calypso looked unconvinced. "You make it sound so simple."

"It _is _simple, Sunshine." Leo replied. "How much more stuff do you have?" he asked, bluntly changing the subject.

Calypso rolled her eyes. "I doubt my loom will fit on Festus' back so I suppose, I've finished."

"We could try," Leo muttered, squinting at the wooden structure. "If we broke it down-"

Calypso burst into laughter. "Leo, that loom is older than Dionysus. It does not 'break down' into different pieces." Leo looked ready to take up the challenge but she shook her head, firmly. "No, my loom will stay here. They are not hard to build for someone who knows how."

"Will you still be able to make that sweet fire proof fabric?" Leo asked. "Cause I got about thirteen brothers and sisters back at camp who would make you a loom that shouts compliments in exchange for fire proof overalls."

She giggled but nodded. "Yes, I believe that magic will stay with me."

"Excellent," Leo sighed, leaning back on one of the Ancient Greek chaises that decorated the cave. "Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Lemonade and Stew _and _Fireproofing for all Sizes!"

She smiled, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "You remember that?"

"'Course I do." He shrugged. "Why do you think I came back? I need your pretty voice to make the whole thing work. Bursting into flames only works for so long before the customers are going to need a little somethin' extra."

"Well that's when you start serving the stew, you see." She sighed, mock-sternly. "You'll definitely need me to organise the whole process or else you'll be lynched by hungry, unentertained masses within the first week of business!"

* * *

The next morning, Leo woke up in front of a low fire and Calypso was talking to herself.

"…and you must make sure to water the plants and clean the fountain. The birds will like bathing in it, they should arrive next month. And you must sweep down the beach and make sure the cave is cleaned out. Also, you should probably check the herb store every now and then to make sure nothing has rotted. If it has, empty the jar and refill it with whatever is in the garden. Try to make sure there is an even amount of each available…" she was lecturing to mid air.

"I'll do all of that if you give me five more minutes, Sunshine." Leo moaned, grouchily as the sunlight crept inside the cave and illuminated the crystals above him like light bulbs.

"Oh," Calypso started, turning to look at him. "I thought you might have slipped into a coma. I'm just giving the air spirits instructions as to how to keep the cave."

"I'm sure they know already." He yawned. "How else does it get clean?"

"I'll have you know, I do most of the work around here Wonder Boy." She poked his stomach with her toe and Leo grabbed her ankle in retaliation, rolling over and tucking her foot under his arm like a stuffed animal kids sleep with. "Leo, _stop that!_"

"Mmm…can't hear you…" he yawned again, his eyes slipping shut. His grin had grown though, betraying him.

"I am in need of my right foot!" Calypso squawked, stumbling on one foot as she tried to disentangling herself. "Leo!"

"Shhh…sleeping now…" Leo repeated, unable to contain his snicker.

"You are _such _an infant."

"You keep this up, you're gonna hurt my feelings Sunshine."

"Let go."

"Or what?"

"I'll beat you with my sandal."

"I think I'm gonna have to pass."

"_Leo._"

"Oh fine…" he grumbled, releasing his grip. He sat up as Calypso began to strap her liberated ankles into a pair of light brown leather sandals like the popular kind he'd seen in stores, with gold clasps and beads threaded on them. Except these were authentic. She wore a pair of light blue jeans that suddenly seemed tighter than normal and a bright red t-shirt that fit her perfectly.

"That's what you're wearing on the…um…flight?" Leo asked, weakly.

"Is it not correct?" she asked, raising a brow.

"No, no it's fine, it's just…tight?" he asked, his voice maybe an octave higher toward the end.

"I have made them slightly smaller. It is to prevent them from flapping in the wind. You haven't known the frustration of struggling against the inevitable until you've tried wearing a _chiton _on a chariot." Calypso suddenly smiled, coyly. "Why? Do you not like them?" She wore a threaded headband across her forehead and her hair was braided as per usual and Leo was in trouble because she was prettier than anything he'd ever seen and she liked to _kiss_ him.

"_Umm…_sure?" Leo tried not to squeak as he considered the fact that Calypso would be sitting behind him for hours, looking like _that_.

"Good." She said, simply as she picked up all her bags with ease as though they weighed nothing more than a feather. "You will have to help me attach these to Festus. I've tried to keep them as light as possible, the bags should help with that."

"What do you mean?"

"They are enchanted to make their contents light." She explained, suddenly tossing one of the large sacks to Leo. "Here!"

He caught it by the skin of his teeth, prepared to buckle to his knees under the sudden weight but surprisingly, it was about as heavy as a loaf of bread. "Are you _sure _you don't want me to try taking that loom apart?" he asked, studying the large wooden structure.

"As I said, the magic is mine, not the loom's." Calypso chuckled as she led them outside to where Festus was enjoying the sunlight on his solar panels.

"How's my favourite fire breather this morning huh?" Leo greeted and Festus arched his back like a feline. "I'm taking that as good." He cracked his jaws and Leo nodded. "I promise we'll get you some Tabasco sauce when we get back."

"Tabasco?" Calypso echoed.

"It's a kind of chilli sauce. He's hungry. Festus has a taste for it and we indulge it because, hey, it's better than a mechanical dragon with a taste for demigod blood, right?" he explained.

"A mechanical dragon who likes chilli sauce," she snorted. "Sometimes I wonder if you're even real, Leo Valdez."

"Because I'm so dreamy?"

"Ridiculous was the word I was thinking of." She replied, neatly and Leo rolled his eyes.

"Hardy har har." He said, witheringly but he looked a little concerned. "Seriously though, we're probably gonna need to stop somewhere along the way so I can find him some. Kicking Ketos' scaly butt took a lot of energy I think."

"A brave, valiant steed." Calypso cooed, patting the side of Festus' enormous head. The dragon made a series of clicks in reply.

"No, she's not driving." Leo told him, sighing.

_Crack whirr clack creak._

"Better than me? Calypso doesn't even know what an engine is!"

_Clickity clack clack whirr clack click click. _

Leo rolled his eyes and turned to the sea goddess. "Apparently Festus is happy to be your driving instructor when we get back to New York, though I warn you he's a traitorous beast."

Festus nudged Leo with his head and blew steam out of his nostrils. _Crick clickity clack whirr snarr crick._

"What do you mean, prettier?" Leo exclaimed, outraged. "I'll have you know I am dashingly handsome!"

_Crick whirr._

"That's it, I'm finding the cheap Tabasco sauce when we land." Leo snapped but his eyes were bright with amusement.

"Oh hero," Calypso snickered. "It's not Festus' fault if he has an eye for female aesthetics. I'm sure he thinks you're handsome also."

"_Dashingly _handsome." Leo stressed with a grin and a slight blush.

"Of course," she sighed. "And overwhelmingly modest."

_Clack whirr tick clack craw?_

Leo frowned. "I don't have anything on me. Can you wait til we can land somewhere?"

"Is he really so tired?" Calypso wondered, uncertain as to the endurance of mechanical creatures like Festus.

"More than I thought." he told her, absently. "Don't suppose you've got a magic Tabasco fountain huh?"

She paused and dropped her things to the ground. "I think I may have the answer." She disappeared up to the garden and came back with a large glass jar the height of a basketball back board, filled with dark red beans. "These are an old type of pepper we ate in Greece." She explained, wrestling the lid off and placing it before Festus. "Only the bravest used to eat them."

Festus sniffed the offering, locking his teeth around the neck of the jar and tilting his head so the beans rushed into his mouth. For a moment, nothing happened and then Festus' jaws shattered the glass and he collapsed onto the ground twitching.

"Festus!" Leo leapt forward, alarmed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry!" Calypso exclaimed, suddenly fearful. "I didn't mean to hurt him! I thought he'd like them!"

"Festus, come on buddy, what's wrong? Huh? Just tell Leo and I'll-" Leo had to stumbled backwards as the dragon suddenly leapt into the air, flying with incredible speeds around the island, in loops and dives like he was a demigod who had just been given a gallon of nectar.

"Whoa." Leo muttered, looking back at a few spare red peppers on the sand. "Any chance we can bring those back with us?"

"He seems to like them." Calypso agreed, looking pale. "I just hope it hasn't injured him."

Leo picked up one of the beans and shrugged, placing it on his tongue. Immediately he spat it back out, gagging and spluttering. "_Holy Hephaestus what is that thing?_"

"It's a _tsili fasoli._" Calypso shrugged, swallowing one whole. "I get cravings for them every few years."

"That's not chilli, it's _poison._" Leo moaned, his mouth aflame with spice.

Calypso rolled her pretty eyes. "Don't be so dramatic, Wonder Boy."

"It feels like it burnt a hole in my tongue!" Leo stuck out his tongue and leaned toward Calypso, frantically. "Did eet burn a ho' in mah tongue?!" he asked, his tongue waggling madly.

"Your tongue is perfectly fine, hero." Calypso muttered dryly. "As is the rest of your mouth though it's somewhat large at times."

Leo uncapped his water and nearly inhaled it in his haste to drink. "Gah, those things are dangerous." He complained, the aftertaste just as bad as the bean itself.

Calypso looked amused. "Such a shame that I end up with a hero who can't hold his chilli." She said, tauntingly.

"Oh I can cope with _chilli._" Leo retorted. "That, that was not chilli, that was like battery acid."

"How exaggeratory. What would you know about spices?" she said, haughtily as she knelt to sweep up the remaining chilli beans to take with them.

Leo narrowed his eyes as he bent down to help. "Oh that's it, I'm making you enchiladas when we get back to camp."

She paused in her work and inclined her head thoughtfully. "I don't know that word but it sounds intriguing."

Leo cackled in response as he collected the last of the beans and poured them into Calypso's open palms. "I'll show what proper chilli tastes like, Sunshine."

"Very well, you may make me these…enchiladas." She pronounced the unfamiliar word carefully before glancing up at the swooping dragon. "Now call back Festus so we can start packing."

* * *

Festus the Dragon was much harder to reign in after his little morning snack and Leo likened the effect to how some kids reacted to red dye in cordial and candy. "Alright, that's the last of it." He muttered, making sure everything was securely fastened. "All on board the SS Festus."

He climbed up to his seat at the front, behind Festus' enormous neck and the dragon growled slightly with a series of clicks and whirrs as if to say _No switching me off this time, got it? _Leo chuckled and patted his neck in reply.

Calypso took a deep breath as he extended his hand to help her up. She took one last glance at the sand beneath her feet, the familiar foothills, the way her crystal gave glowed, further up the island. And then she grabbed Leo's hand and let him pull her into the seat behind him.

The dragon hummed beneath her in a way that was a little disconcerting but she locked her arms around Leo's waist as he gave Festus the command to leave and squeezed her eyes shut, a traitorous tear sneaking from beneath her eyelid. She had wanted to leave Ogygia for so long but it has still been her home. Leaving was bittersweet.

As Festus soared high above the ocean, Calypso's eyes opened and she suddenly became aware of the thin woven light that surrounded the island, the magic that bound her here. Hephaestus had said she had merely to pass through it to leave, shed her immortality and become mortal.

The moment they passed through it, Festus was completely unhindered, Leo also unaffected. But Calypso knew something was wrong.

She gasped, her whole body suddenly frozen and deathly cold. The power she had always known suddenly failed her and she felt something icy dripping from her nose. When she lifted her hand to it and pulled away, it was covered in glowing gold ichor.

She trembled as the cold enveloped her and began to gnaw on her bones, the ichor secreting from her nose, her mouth, her ears. It dripped constantly, the pain escalating until she couldn't contain her cries any longer and screamed long and loud directly in Leo's ear.

"Calypso? What's wrong? Hey, talk to me! _Calypso!_" he was yelling but she couldn't answer, couldn't do anything but wheeze helplessly as her lungs constricted tightly, the cold icy feeling spreading and filling her from the inside. "What the hell? What is this stuff?" Leo was asking, frantically. "_Calypso?_ Answer me!"

_Leo, _she tried to say but all that came out was a wet cough and the ichor dribbled out of her mouth, falling to the side and splashing into the water far below. As it did, the waters glowed eerily so there was an illuminated trail following beneath them as Calypso shook and moaned.

_You have chosen your path, Titan's child. _An ancient voice, not unlike Gaea's but without the maliciousness, murmured in her head. _This is the price for rejecting immortality._

The ichor welled in her throat and she choked, vaguely realising the water was coming closer as Leo tried to find somewhere to land. The pain felt like it was tearing apart her every cell; her power, her magic was slipping from her, drifting away in golden swirls of dust from her skin.

Using every ounce of strength she had left, she reached out a hand to the dust, trying to command it not to leave her. It obeyed but even as she felt it flow back into her heart, the splitting pain washed over her head and her vision went dark, her ears still echoing with Leo's calls.

**A/N: Wow, so that spiralled very quickly. These two just can't catch a break, huh?**

**Review time!**

**Ilovethisfanfic: I definitely see a vacation in their future at some point. I hear Egypt is nice this time of year…muahahaha. Glad you liked it and the fluff ;)**

**Winonabcd: OH MY GODS BREAAAATHE YOUR REVIEW MADE ME HAVE A SQUEAL-INDUCED HEART ATTACK MYSELF THANKYOU! :3 So happy you liked it!**

**Correction: **Hey, I love Percy just as much as the next PJO fan. He's such a fantastic, awesome character, I love reading and writing about him. But there's a reason he's mentioned like this in my fic: Firstly, I'm going along with one of the themes from House of Hades where Percy realises that he's forgotten about a lot of people (Bob and Nico included) and suffers from the guilt of doing so. Secondly, this is from Leo and Calypso's POV primarily, both of whom are of course going to be pretty biased (Calypso because of how things ended and Leo because he cares about Calypso) so that's why there hasn't been a lot of Pro-Percy defense so far. As for him and Annabeth helping out, I disagree, I think they'd help out in spite of the cursing because they're just that type of hero, they do the right thing because it's the right thing. And besides all of that, the Percy-Calypso confrontation (which is inevitably going to happen) is sure to have anger, bitterness, guilt and regret on both sides because they both did things they regret but also have a right to their respective anger.

**Blue234: YOU ARE ALSO AMAZING, THANKYOU FOR REVIEWING!**

**Guest: Arigato ;) and yes, I basically came up with this because I hate character deaths and I didn't like the idea of Leo becoming immortal and spending eternity with Calypso. He'd make a terrible god, let's be honest. Glad you liked it and thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: HAPPY FRIDAY AND THANKS FOR REVIEWING, I CAN HEAR THE SCREECHING SQUEALS OF FANGIRL JOY THROUGH MY LAPTOP AND THEY MAKE ME HAPPYY!**

**Sydwashere: YOU ARE PERFECT THANKYOU FOR READING!**

**Red: Updates are every Friday and Monday, if that helps ;) Thanks for reading and I'm really pleased you're enjoying it!**

**AB: TEAM LEO FOR THE WIN!**

**Tara Luna Apple: kissy romantic stuff is the greatest *sighs* Anyway glad you liked it and as for the l-word, it will make an appearance soon, I promise ;) Thanks for reading!**

**Blueice2449: Oh my gosh, I didn't even see the Leo in Theleonisus until you pointed it out ahaha and as for Carter and Zia, yeah, it is a bit like that but then Calypso has waited long enough, I think she'd ask him out first if she knew what dating and going out **_**was**_**. Glad you like it and thanks for reading!**

**Avid Reader 101: Here it is, I hope you like it! ;)**

**THANKS FOR READING EVERYONE, HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Happy Update Monday guys- isn't this a nice early surprise, gods, I don't think I've ever updated this story while it was still morning. Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**VERY BIG SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READS, REVIEWS, FAVOURITES OR FOLLOWS THIS STORY BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL PERFECT AND WONDERFUL AND I HOPE YOUR WEEKS ARE FANTABULOUS!**

***ahem* Enjoy Protective Leo and Mortal Calypso!**

**Shy**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

The first time Leo wondered if he'd made a horrible mistake in coming back for Calypso, he was watching her twitch and tremble all over, with her glowing golden blood seeping out from her mouth.

As soon as she'd started choking, Leo had realised something was wrong but Ogygia was the only land in sight for several miles and it had disappeared as soon as they were out of its borders.

"Calypso?" he shouted over the wind but there was no response and when he tried to turn, Festus wavered uncertainly in the air, confused as to where Leo was directing. "Calypso, talk to me, what's going on?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see something glowing and every now and then, something falling into the ocean below. She wheezed and coughed and when Festus finally seemed steady enough on his own, Leo turned like a contortionist to see her, his mind racing with panic.

Calypso was trembling and heaving as if she was about to puke but nothing except trickling golden ichor fell from her lips, painting glowing streaks from the corners of her mouth to her chin. He caught a glimpse of her terrified eyes before they rolled back into her skull and she shook violently all over.

"Sunshine, come on," he said, trying to keep one eye on Festus who was unnerved by the choking noises. "_Calypso, what's going on, tell me-"_

Suddenly, she went still and her head rested on his back, her whole body slumped into his. _No, no, no- _His mind was on permanent replay, slashes of cold fear tearing through his chest but there was nothing he could do while Festus was in the air so he sped the dragon on further east, willing some kind of land to appear in the distance.

_Oh gods, this can't be happening. This is not actually happening_, he told himself, the words blurring together in his head as he glanced back at Calypso who was still leaking ichor. Leo wasn't a god expert but he was fairly certain gods weren't meant to lose so much blood in so little time and the single horrible thought he refused to acknowledge badgered him incessantly.

Finally- _finally- _he caught sight of the jagged, low land he'd passed over on the way to Ogygia and, one arm wrapped around Calypso's limp form to make sure she couldn't fall, he urged Festus on.

_Crickity whiirr? _The dragon's gears crackled but Leo didn't have an answer. Was Calypso okay?

Well she was dripping in golden blood, had essentially passed out on him and she felt cold and clammy in his arms so _probably not._

"What the hell do you think Festus?" he snarled but apologised a second later. He tried to tap down the sarcasm by reminding himself that the dragon was just trying to help but his nerves were shot and the limp pressure of Calypso against his back was not helping.

The chilli beans from Ogygia certainly fired the mechanical dragon up because they sped through the sky as a flash of bronze and copper until Leo spotted a shaded, empty cove on what he guessed was the east coast of Sardinia to land on. "There, buddy. Land gentle, okay?" he asked over the air whistling past his face and obediently, the dragon carefully swooped towards the tiny strip of beach, blowing steam out his nostrils, nervously.

"Good dragon," Leo mumbled, trying to manoeuvre Calypso off Festus' back as gently as possible. Her head tilted back like a rag doll, like a toy, like a corpse-

_Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! _

_Snickity crack zeck? _Festus gargled and Leo shook his head, trying to banish his own thoughts and failing miserably.

"Stay put for now," he ordered as he carefully lifted Calypso from her practically catatonic position and unrolled the hastily stuffed bedroll from his pack before setting her down. Festus rattled all over like a pocket of spare change as Leo rummaged around in her bags for something, _anything _that might help her. But it wasn't as though she'd labelled any of the jars she'd brought with her and even if she had, like _he_ would have a clue what to do with it.

Instead, he tore driftwood from the shoreline like a man possessed, stacking it nearby and setting it ablaze with perhaps a bit more aggression than he was used to but every time he looked at her, Calypso looked paler and paler. He hadn't noticed the faint golden glow to her skin until it had leached from her veins. Now it seemed like all he could see was how sick and cold she looked, like she was on her deathbed.

"You can't die Sunshine," he growled. When he gently checked her forehead, it felt like touching an ice sculpture. She trembled slightly like she was freezing so he turned the fire into something he might use in the forge, something hot enough to melt steel and forge gold. But she didn't seem to absorb the heat like a regular person would, not even when he grabbed the stupid singed flaming chicken blanket and tucked the corners around her like his mom used to do for him. "Come on, wake up, you have to wake up." He breathed, noticing for the first time that his hands were shaking as well.

Leo was looking for the spare thermos of nectar Jason had given him before he'd left when she started coughing violently again, like she was trying to cough up a lung.

"Calypso?" he whispered, terror clutching his chest in an iron grip. She didn't respond but he thought maybe the gold ichor slowed a little. It dripped from her ears, from her nostrils and her mouth and Leo wondered if he was meant to try and collect it, if there was some way of injecting it back into her. Where it landed on the sand, the earth glowed and glimmered in golden puddles. "You gotta tell me what to do. I- I don't know how to fix you."

She said nothing but her fingers twitched and he decided he didn't care if he was covered in sand and she was coated in golden blood, he held her hand tightly and silently begged her to squeeze back. He _hated _not knowing how something worked. He hated not understanding how to correct problems, not being able to fiddle with something til it functioned again. He hated that whatever was wrong with Calypso would not be corrected with a screwdriver or a hammer.

"She's going through a process son." His father's gravelly voice said and Leo absently realised he'd seen more of his father in the last month than he had his entire life. The knowledge paled in comparison to the horror unfolding in front of him as Calypso made a horrible wheezing sound like she was suffocating. He pulled the blanket looser around her and then tighter and the looser again, trying to remember if you were meant to heat fevers or colds before deciding to tuck her in again. Just in case.

"What process?" Leo asked, hoarsely and the words just fell from his mouth. "She- she was screaming and crying…she's dripping in blood…and I can't- I mean I don't-I can't _do_ anything. I-I-I can't _fix _her-"

"You can't help her, kiddo." Hephaestus sighed as he tried to find words that would make sense to Leo. "Turning a mortal immortal is easy. It's building on an existing structure, making it stronger, more durable. Hercules, Psyche, Ariadne. They all became immortal. But draining immortality is backwards. It's like taking out the foundations that hold it together."

"So, what?" Leo muttered, not taking his eyes off Calypso as she shuddered and trembled, her eyes flickering open and shut. When they did, he could see her dark, smiling eyes had been replaced. Now, the whole eye was a bright gold, the same as the ichor and it terrified him more than he could put into words. "She collapses? Machines don't survive without foundations Dad."

"She's adapting." Hephaestus replied. "Growing new foundations. Working out how to exist. It's a tough process, having the god ripped out of you. I've only known one to go through it."

"Who?"

"You wouldn't have heard of him. Theniles, minor god of scholarship or something. He fell in love with a mortal and decided to join her. Zeus was offended so he struck Theniles from the records. His name appears nowhere, people don't worship him and don't remember ever doing so. But he was happy." Hephaestus recalled, squinting in thought.

"So he survived?" Leo asked, weakly.

"Sure did. Married his mortal, led a good life, taught a lot of people, improved a lot of lives. He grew old with her. Died. He achieved Elysium though gods know how. Zeus still sulks about it. I think Hades might have done it to spite the Big Guy." His dad shook his head with a chuckle. "She'll live, Leo."

"But how do you know?" he muttered. When he turned, Hephaestus was gone.

* * *

It was hours later, well after nightfall by the time Calypso stirred. Leo had been dozing by the campfire he'd conjured but the sound of her groan made him snap out of his slumber.

"Leo?" she whispered in a small voice and he knelt down beside her, watching as her eyes fluttered open, pupils dilated but not glowing at least.

"Hey, Sunshine." He murmured with a weak smile.

"Am I still in one piece?" she whispered, wryly. "I feel like I've been torn apart by gorgons."

"I assure you, you are still in one very nice piece." He replied in a small quiet voice like anything louder might break her apart again. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I knew as soon as we breached the border." She breathed, wincing as she tried to sit up, her arms shaking slightly with strain. "I knew it wouldn't be pleasant."

"Wait a second would you?" he muttered, helping her sit up a little. "Did you know…before that?" he added, hesitantly.

Calypso's gaze softened. "Oh hero, of course not. I would've told you. You sounded so worried."

"You could hear me?" he cringed, thinking back to what he'd babbled on about while she slept. Stupid things like how he needed her to wake up so she could play fetch with Festus because he was rubbish at it. How business was going to suffer if he didn't have her there at Leo and Calypso's Auto Garage Repair.

How he thought she was the most beautiful, strongest girl he'd ever met. How he needed her to wake up and tell him he was an idiot or a hero or Wonder Boy.

How he loved her. How she hadn't left his mind once in all the time he'd been away. How he really didn't want to be alone without her, not again. Stupid stuff like that.

"Yes." She smiled a little, reaching out a hand to brush against the furrow of his brow. "It was a nice distraction."

"Feeling better?" he asked, sort of nervous like a single wrong word might make her shatter. What kind of a stupid question is that? _Feeling better_? Gods he was a moron sometimes.

But Calypso didn't seem to notice. She looked more confused than anything. "Yes, I think. Can you help me up?"

He wanted to say no. He wanted to tell her she was never getting up again, she was going to stay right there, in front of the fire where he could make sure she was never _ever _going to look like she had, ever again.

"Just- just be careful, alright?" he responded, looping his arm under hers and helping her stand. Her knees buckled almost right away and he had to be quick to hold her up, one arm around her waist and the other across her shoulders. He tugged her a little closer to him than necessary but neither of them noticed. Leo was just too relieved and endlessly grateful that she was talking again, looking at him with those pretty dark eyes and smiling, even if she did have faint golden streaks painted down her chin and neck.

"I never realised how strong I was, until I was strong no longer." She mumbled, shaking her head as if to clear it. "And I'm _hungry. _Gods, I feel like I could eat a feast."

Festus cocked his head from his resting place near the water and Leo chuckled. "Feast, not Festus."

"Do you feel like this?" she asked, curiously. She held her arms out and wiggled her fingers like she'd never seen them before and Leo wondered what it was like, waking up and feeling like your whole body was brand new.

"All the time." Leo replied. "But then again, I'm a teenager. We're supposed to eat our weight in food. Although I guess you are now too. How do you feel?"

"Strange." She frowned, confused. "I feel very small. I used to feel like a thousand year old goddess and now I feel…"

"Young?" Leo guessed.

"It's very strange." She repeated, taking a few shaky steps on her own.

"I'll go grab some food for us." He suggested when she finally released her iron grip on his shoulder. Her strength was still somewhat increased, he decided, judging by the bruise she left behind. "Any preference?"

"Anything," she grimaced as her stomach roared loudly. "I feel like I haven't eaten in years. This is not the same hunger I'm used to."

"Mortal metabolism. Sucks doesn't it?" Leo guessed, grabbing a thermos of leftover beef stew from the island out of their supplies and heating it with his hands.

"I suppose." She agreed, slowly getting the hang of walking. "I'll admit, gravity feels…heavier now."

Leo found himself shaking with laughter, his relief getting the better of him. "Poor Sunshine," he taunted. "You're used to floating from place to place."

"I don't _float, _I walked!" she argued. "It's just…heavier now. I feel sorry for mortals."

"You mean you feel sorry for yourself." Leo corrected as she stumbled into the sand a little ungracefully. He sat beside her cross-legged and handed her the meal, which she dug into with gusto. "You're mortal now too."

"I am." She mused, thoughtfully. "Do I look any different?"

Leo studied her face, the smudges dried ichor on the corner of her mouth, the way her hair was tussled from sleeping. She looked mostly the same only…she had a sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose now. Her skin didn't hold the same glow but it still had a slight sheen to it. She seemed more…real now. Like something he could touch rather than something he was supposed to just admire from a distance.

"You're beautiful." He admitted, honestly. Her smile was the same, he noted. And her eyes still glittered when she smiled. She still looked like a dream.

"I'm sorry for slowing us down. I did not realise it would take so long to become mortal. Some of you seem very hastily put together." She teased, weakly.

"Yeah well, what can I say? Gods are lazy." He joked back, feeling his body un-tense. Calypso was fine. She was mortal now. She was going to grow older, turn sixteen with him, then seventeen and then twenty, thirty. She could meet his friends at camp. They could open their garage. He could- _would_- take her anywhere she wanted to go.

She hadn't said anything about his confession while she was sleeping but when she leaned her head into his shoulder and yawned, Leo realised they were all problems for later. For the first time in a long while, both of them had time to spare.

* * *

In the morning, they left as the sun was just erupting from the ocean horizon. Leo glanced behind him to where Calypso sat on Festus' back, arms locked around his waist. "You're not going to start dripping again, are you?" he checked with a snicker but there was a hint of real fear in his tone.

She shoved him and showed him a small vial of glowing gold that she'd put on a cord around her neck. "Quiet, Wonder Boy. The rest is in here. Ichor is powerful stuff."

"How powerful?" Leo raised a brow, sceptically. "All it did was make the ground glow."

"The blood of Ouranos, when tossed into the ocean, gave birth to Aphrodite." Calypso replied, factually.

"Whoa! You mean there's a baby god inside that thing?" Leo asked, tapping the vial with his nail.

"Ouranos was the father of Titans, Wonder Boy." Calypso rolled her eyes. "I am a minor sea goddess. But it's still potent. I will have to hide it when we have reached your camp."

"As long as it's not coming out your ears like a Hollywood zombie extra, we're good." He replied and Festus took off, startling the crap out of some Italian fisherman who were just coming around the rocks.

"_Non sono veduto mai un'aquila cosi grande come che!_" one of them shouted in an awed voice.

"_Sei brillo, stupido!" _the other roared and Calypso chuckled.

"Can you understand them?" he called back to her and she nodded.

"They think Festus is an eagle and that they are drunk." She whispered in his ear and he hooted with laughter.

"Gotta love the Mist." He chuckled and paused as Calypso tightened her arms around his waist, feeling utterly invincible.

They were passing over Sardinia, headed towards Egypt when she leaned forward again. "Hero?" she murmured with a small kiss to the spot right behind his ear that made his stomach leap out of his abdomen.

"Yeah?" he turned his head slightly to look at her.

She was so close he could feel her hair tickling the back of his neck and the smell of cinnamon which had always filled his head when he thought of her was suddenly intoxicatingly near. "Thank you for coming back to me." She whispered with a tiny smile and bright eyes. "And I love you too."

"Yeah?" he asked, a slow smile of his own dawning on his face.

She brushed a sweet, tiny kiss against the edge of his mouth. "Yeah."

Leo wore a grin the size of Texas itself for the rest of the trip.

* * *

**A/N: So they said it. The L Word. Kinda. Hope you liked it everyone and thanks for voting in the poll! If you haven't already, could you please do so? It's on my profile :)**

**Review time!**

_**Ilovethisfanfic: **_**I wasn't surprised at first cause it was like 4 in the afternoon when I received the memo and then I was like OH MY GODS, THAT IS SO FLATTERING AND AT THE SAME TIME I FEEL BAD PLEASE SLEEP and then I thought, hell I stay up to 2 am all the time, who am I to talk? Anyway, hope the wait wasn't too bad and you enjoyed the Caleo fix! Thanks for reading ;)**

_**Winonabcd: **_**HELLO! I AM INDEED HYPERVENTILATING AND APPARENTLY UNABLE TO TYPE IN LOWER CASE SORRY. I AM SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER, I DO NOT KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM IT WAS LIKE fine one moment and the next NOT FINE. And you have a writing crush? Seriously, I have internet crushes on everyone who reviews a word of this story and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA GAAAH. I wish I was a sorceress but I am indeed lucky Monday is near because I am hoping everyone will like this chapter and I look forward to the response 8D THANKS FOR READING YOU GLORIOUS READER!**

_**Blue234: **_**She's fine, see? I typically update on Mondays and Fridays so I hope the suspense wasn't too bad for you! Thanks for reading!**

**Red: *fangirling intensifies* OH MY GOSH I AM SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT! Hope you like chapter twenty five too! Next chapter will be Camp Half Blood I'm pretty sure. Thanks for reading :D :D :D**

_**Artemis Daughter**_**: I think you are the best thing ever. No seriously, all my reviewers are awesome, I have the best readers in the whole damn fandom. YOU ARE AMAZING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING A MINUTE (LET ALONE SEVERAL HOURS) TO READ MY LITTLE STORY :3 Hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

_**Amber: **_**Here is more, I hope you liked it :) Thankyou for reading!**

_**Dani: **_**Well I did say Ogygia would still be around once Calypso left…Don't know that it would move to New York but I'm sensing a return to Ogygia at some point in the distant future ;) It **_**is **_**her home (or it was at some point) after all. Thanks for reading!**

_**Guest**_**: OH MY GOSH I'M BLUSHING AGAIN GUYSSSs YOU CAN't SAY THESE THINGS THEY MAKE ME SHRIEK AND GIGGLE AND GO RED AND THEN MY SISTER ASKS IF I'M TALKING TO BOYS AND I TELL HER I'M TALKING TO MY LOVELY READERS AND THEN SHE WANTS TO SEE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE READING THEN ARRRRRGRH NO (SERIOUSLY THOUGH THANKYOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WONDERFUL COMPLIMENTS, YOU ARE LOVELY AND I HOPE YOU FIND TWENTY DOLLARS SOMEWHERE). *ahem* Anyway, I hope you're not in too much pain and Happy Monday! As for the cliffhanger, seriously I do not even **_**know **_**where that came from, one second all is fine, the next NOT FINE and I'm cackling. I should start taking breaks when I write this fic…ENJOY YOU DELIGHTFUL READER!**

_**Tara Luna Apple: **_**She's fine, see, I promise! She's just adjusting to being, you know, mortal and a bit more fragile than she's used to. Hope you like the new chapter and thanks for reading ;)**

_**Guest: **_**HERE YOU GO FRIEND I HOPE YOU LIKE THE NEW CHAPTER!**

_**AquaDrop: **_**Hi! I'm glad you liked it and thanks for reading ;)**

_**Cloe: **_**No, don't be scared, she's fine…kinda. Just adjusting :D Glad you like it so far and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

_**Caro: **_**I respectfully disagree, YOU and everyone who reviews this story are the best and thankyou for taking an interest in my little fic! Hope you like the new chapter ;)**

_**Chocolate Lover: **_**Glad you enjoyed it- hope you like the new chapter too :3**

_**Guest: **_**Oh my gosh, don't worry about it I'm just super glad you're even reading :3 I'm so so so happy you're enjoying it so far and I hope you like the new update!**

_**RosieGirl52: **_**I agree to those terms. 2 million virtual blue cookies for a finished fic sounds fair to me ;) Bummer that you had to leave your book behind, I have been known to stage a revolt if my books are not on me at all times. Anyway, I'm glad you like it and hope you like the new chapter too! Happy Update Monday!**

**That's all for this chapter, next update is on FRIDAY and will **_**probably **_**include CHB. Probably. ;)**


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